145 'Shramik Special' trains helped nearly 2.10 lakh migrants return home in a single day: Indian Railways

The Indian Railways operated as many as 145 'Shramik Special' trains from various states across India on Thursday. Ministry of Railways officials have said that this process has helped close to 2.10 lakh migrant labourers return home to their respective native states in a single day. This is in line with the Railways' earlier-set target to run more than 100 trains a day.

"Yesterday, 145 Shramik trains were operated and nearly 2.10 lakh passengers were ferried home. As of 9 AM today, 999 Shramik Specials have been approved," said the Ministry of Railways in a statement on Friday.

The ministry added: "As on 14th May 2020, a total of 800 "Shramik Special" trains have been operationalised from various states across the country. More than 10 lakh passengers have reached their home state."

These 800 trains were terminated in various states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

Several states and Union territories/ district administrations have operationalised certain activities ensuring strict compliance with the lockdown guidelines after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order dated April 15.

Notably, the Indian Railways had decided to operate the 'Shramik Special' trains subsequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order regarding the movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places via special trains.

These trains have ferried migrants to cities like Tiruchchirappalli, Titlagarh, Barauni, Khandwa, Jagannathpur, Khurda Road, Prayagraj, Chhapra, Balia, Gaya, Purnia, Varanasi, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Hatia, Basti, Katihar, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, etc.

In these 'Shramik Special' Trains, proper screening of passengers is ensured before boarding the train. During the journey, passengers are given free meals and water.