KOCHI: The first Oxygen Express train for Kerala, carrying 118 MT of oxygen, arrived at Vallarpadam terminal railway station in Kochi on Sunday.
The liquid oxygen, in three cryogenic tankers, arrived at 3:30 am, an official release said.
According to the Divisional Railway Manager's office, Trivandrum Division, the tankers on board the Oxygen Express were filled at the Tata Steel Plant at Kalinganagar in Odisha.
"The Oxygen Express was earlier meant to ferry the oxygen to Delhi. However, after the empowered group at the centre which is monitoring the oxygen needs assessed the urgency of the demand in Kerala, the train was diverted," said an official with the DRM's office.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to the Prime Minister last week seeking 1,000 tonnes of medical oxygen saying there's an increased demand for life-saving gas.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, in a tweet, said: 'The first #OxygenExpress to Kerala has reached Ernakulam from Kalinganagar with medical Oxygen for COVID-19 patients in the State.'
"Bringing the tankers was easy since they were not mounted on lorries and hence could easily clear many of the Railway Over Bridges located en route in the state," said the official. According to him, the loading of the oxygen into tankers is progressing and will finish by 6.00 pm.
The loading is being monitored by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel and other experts said the official. According to him, there is a dearth of cryogenic tanks.
"If more were available, ferrying oxygen on trains would have been the fastest and safest way," said the official. At present, oxygen is being ferried from the plants located all over the country on flights, by road and trains.
"As of now, there is no information regarding more supply of oxygen to Kerala in coming days. This is decided by the empowered panel at the Centre," added the official.