[ad_1]
New Delhi: Indian Railways has operated 302 “Shramik Special” trains since May 1 and transported more than 3 lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country to their homes amid the coronavirus-induced blockade, authorities said.
The national carrier has planned to operate 47 trains on Saturday, of which 34 trains have already departed, they said.
Each Shramik special train has 24 carriages, each with a capacity of 72 seats.
However, the railways allow only 54 people on a bus to maintain social distancing standards by not assigning the central berth to any passenger.
While the railroads have not yet announced the cost incurred for special services, officials indicate that the national carrier has spent about ₹80 lakh per service.
The government has previously stated that the cost of services has been shared at an 85:15 ratio with the states.
From the start of the execution of the Shramik special trains, Gujarat remained one of the main origin stations, followed by Kerala.
Among the recipient states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh remain the main states.
Previously, the railways were criticized by the opposition parties for charging for these services.
In their guidelines, the railways have said that trains will run only if they have 90 percent occupancy and that “states should collect fare.”
This story has been published from a cable agency source without modification to the text. Only the owner has been changed.
.
[ad_2]
