Oxygen Exp leaves for Bokaro, to return with LMO soon
LUCKNOW: The railways’ newly-launched Oxygen Express, which would bring the much-needed Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) to districts like Lucknow and Varanasi, left for Bokaro, Jharkhand on Wednesday night. Though there was no word on the exact time when the train is expected to return back to Lucknow, officials said the train would bring in enough amount of medical oxygen to end the crisis. “Transporting LMO by train was two times faster than transporting it through road tankers.
The entire process will take another 48 hours,” said Avnish Awasthi, ACS, home UP.
LUCKNOW: The railways’ newlylaunched Oxygen Express, which would bring the muchneeded Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) to districts like Lucknow and Varanasi, left for Bokaro, Jharkhand on Wednesday night.
Senior government officials in presence of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), transport department and Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) officials ensured the loading of empty chambers on the flat wagons brought to Lucknow from different Army bases.
Prior to its departure, officials also ensured the trial run of the train.
Though officials failed to tell the exact time when the train is expected to return back to Lucknow with the much-needed oxygen, they said the train would bring in enough amount of oxygen to curb crisis of medical oxygen in the state.
The loading of trucks-withbuilt-in-oxygen-chambers on the low-floored wagons began soon after the low-floor wagon arrived at the Charbagh Railway Station.
The train, which left at around 10pm, will take around 16 hours to cover the distance of 805km to Bokaro. However, they said it may take around 24 hours for the train, loaded with LMO, from Bokaro to reach Lucknow.
The entire exercise that is being carried out under strict supervision of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) home, transport department and Food Safety Drug and Administration (FSDA), is a part of UP government’s initiative to meet out the high demand of oxygen that plays a key role in treating critical patients of Covid-19 infection.
The initiative is the outcome of the state government seeking help from the railways to bring oxygen from Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
The train would ensure the supply of oxygen in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi.
“Transporting LMO by train was two times faster than transporting it through road tankers. The entire process will take another 48 hours,” said Avnish Awasthi, ACS, home UP.
Sanjay Tripathi, DRM Northern Railways (NR) said around 10 oxygen chambers were sent through Oxygen Express that left Lucknow on Wednesday night.
Officials with the railways said the Oxygen Express would be a boon in transporting LMO.
The railways has plans to transport oxygen through Roll On Roll Off (RoRo) services through road tankers with built-in oxygen chambers are placed on flat wagons.