The center has decided to set up a special train to transfer migrant workers and other stranded people, including students and tourists, to their home. A guideline issued by the home ministry consists of details where and how the special facility can alleviate the pain of the daily wagers and lightened the burden of the state government running relief camps.
All you need to know about the ‘Shramik’ Special Trains, these special trains will be operated by railways for migrants movement across states:
1. The Shramik special train service has begun on Labour Day; first such special service was flagged off on Friday morning from Hyderabad to Hatia, Jharkhand.
2. A total of six special trains are planned to be opened on Labour Day, from Lingampally to Hatia, Aluva to Bhubaneswar, Nasik to Lucknow, Nasik to Bhopal, Jaipur to Patna and Kota to Hatia.
3. Shramik specials will be provided to migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other personnel who are stranded in different places due to the lockdown.
4. These special trains will run from point to point (non-stop) according to the requirements of the two states of the sending and receiving personnel, and will follow standard health and safety regulations.
5. Railways and related state governments will have to appoint senior officials as nodal officials to coordinate and ensure the normal operation of these special trains.
6. Passengers will be inspected at the place of departure of the train, and only passengers found to be asymptomatic are allowed to travel.
7. These people will have to be taken to the train station in batches with sanitized buses in accordance with social distancing rules and other preventive measures. Every passenger must wear a face mask.
8. The railway will try to implement the social distancing norms and hygiene with the cooperation of passengers.
9. Meals and drinking water will have to be provided to the passengers by the sending states at the departure station. On longer routes, the Railways will provide a meal during the journey.
10. The receiving state government must make all arrangements when arriving at the destination to screen arriving passengers and isolate them if necessary, as well as further travel from the train station to other destinations in the state.
