Over 1K return to city from New Delhi in special train
About 3,400 passengers have travelled to New Delhi from the city while more than 1,000 travelled to Mumbai from the Capital in three days since the Indian Railways started special trains from Mumbai Central railway station on Tuesday.
The first train with people travelling to Mumbai arrived from New Delhi on Thursday morning. In all, 1,072 passengers arrived at Mumbai Central railway station. The passengers were screened at arrival on the railway station and the luggage of the passengers were disinfected at the railway station.
The railways, after seeing the increase in demand, decided to attach one additional coach on the train starting from Friday. Presently, the train operates with 20 coaches.
On Thursday, 1,372 passengers travelled from Mumbai Central to New Delhi railway station. On Wednesday, more than 900 passengers travelled from the city to New Delhi and on Tuesday, 1,107 passengers travelled from the city.
“The demand for the train has increased and that is why we will be attaching an additional coach. All passengers who arrived in the city on Thursday were
screened and luggage was disinfected.” said a Western Railway official.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had arranged buses for passengers for travel and a few taxis were operating outside the station. The Maharashtra government issued a notification on Tuesday stating the standard operation protocol (SOP) needs to be followed when passengers arrive in the city. Passengers would have to undergo home quarantine for 14 days after they arrive in the city.
“Asymptomatic passengers should be allowed to go home after screening. They should be stamped and directed to follow a 14-day home quarantine. Relatives coming to receive them at the railway stations should be allowed by showing the e-ticket as a pass to travel to the station. Two and three-wheelers will not be allowed to transport passengers and private cars will be allowed to carry two passengers less than the vehicle’s capacity,” the order had stated.