PATNA: Amid the persisting COVID-19 pandemic, the East Central Railway (ECR), headquartered at Hajipur, has started luggage sanitization and wrapping up services at four prominent stations including Patna junction.
The luggage of passengers arriving to board trains is sanitized for a nominal fee of Rs 10 by UV light sanitizer machines. Starting from October 2, the services have been offered at the Rajendra Nagar station, Patna junction, Patliputra junction and Danapur junction under the Danapur division of ECR railway initially where thousands of passengers undertake their train journey.
Confirming this, senior divisional commercial manager of Danapur division, Adhar Raj said, "Along with this service, complimentary wheel chair and trolley services have also been made available for passengers in need of them."
With full-fledged services not having resumed yet, more than 500 pieces of luggage are sanitized daily on an average at these four prominent stations through the UV light machine.
The passengers also get their travel bags wrapped with safe sheets after sanitization as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 during the journey.
"It is a much-needed service at a time when we have to travel with a fear of being infected with the coronavirus. We have availed this service before making a journey to Delhi," said Mahesh Kumar, a passenger who boarded a train at Patna junction.
In Patna alone, 29631 persons were tested, of whom 27243 have been cured while 223 died.