BENGALURU: In line with the directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, South Western Railway will run ‘Shramik Special’ trains shortly to transport migrant workers, students and others stranded due to the national lockdown in force. The trains are likely to be run from Bengaluru to Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan and West Bengal, said a senior state government official. Railways stressed that only those people who are identified and nominated by the government can travel on them.
A high-level railway official confirmed that at present, only long-distance trains would be run, and confirmed that these states were being considered. “No formal communication has been sent by the state on the routes, but most migrant workers in Bengaluru are from these five states, and it has been informally communicated that trains will be required for these routes,” he said.
At a meeting on Friday morning, it was decided that the trains would have only 22 coaches. “Only 54 passengers will be allowed to travel in a coach which can accommodate 72 people, to maintain social distancing. Tickets need to be paid for,” the official said.
The state has already visited camps where workers are living in large numbers, and has begun registering names of workers who will be allowed on board trains, another official said. “They will be brought here from their workspots in buses and allowed to board the trains,” he added. “No one under any circumstances should come to railway stations looking for trains. We will not issue any tickets to any individual or entertain any request from any group or individual. We will allow only those passengers to board whom officials bring to railway stations,” an official release said.