Even if the lockdown is withdrawn, train travel will not be easy! Railway Officials moot trifurcation!
Posted on: 11/Apr/2020 12:48:36 PM
It is gathered that even if the lockdown condition is withdrawn, still the train travel would not be that easy. Subsequent to the announcement 21 days lockdown condition throughout the country, all the trains from the Chennai Central and Egmore Railway Stations were canceled.
The lockdown concludes on 14th April. As it was expected that normalcy will be restored, the reservations for the train travel from 15th April was commenced.
Meanwhile, quite unexpectedly, the severity of the coronavirus pandemic spread has intensified! Despite this, it is gathered that the Railway Administration had decided to overcome this challenge and operate the trains while ensuring all necessary preventive action against the virus spread.
In order to meet this situation, the passengers may need to undergo several procedures. In other words, just like the flight passengers arrive 4 hours before the flight at the airport, a similar arrangement will be enforced in the Railway Stations as well! Thermal scanning will be conducted for each passenger.
Only those passengers who reserved can travel. The passengers on the waiting list will not be allowed to board the train. Only 2nd class coaches will be available. No air-conditioned coaches will be attached. Further, the passengers MUST strictly follow the ‘social distancing’! They MUST wear masks and gloves. Though each cabin has 6 berths, only passengers will be allowed. Apart from the passengers and the Railway Staff, others will not be permitted to enter the train!
Some of the trains, adopting the ‘point-to-point’ service will not stop at any stations from the starting station to the destination station. The 4 doors of each coach will remain locked till the train stops!
In case it is detected that any of the passengers are affected by coronavirus during the travel, he will be removed from the train! He/she will be isolated or taken to the hospital.
No platform tickets will be available until the next announcement!
While the whole country is awaiting the conclusion of the present lockdown in a few days, the news is imminent that the lockdown will be extended!
It is also gathered that under the extended lockdown condition, the Railways propose to trifurcate the train system and operate the trains.
As per this, under the section announced as ‘Red Zone’, no trains will be allowed!
The areas in which the coronavirus is not that severe have been marked as ‘yellow zones’! In these zones, a lesser number of trains will be operated as per demand.
In the areas marked as ‘green zones’, trains will be operated at full strength. Further, it is gathered that Railways propose to undertake various preventive activities such as testing the passengers in the railway stations, making facial masks mandatory, allowing only a lesser number of passengers in each train, etc.!
