According to a special press note issued by Ravinder Bhakar- Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Rly, during the challenging time of corona lockdown, Western Rly has successfully shown superb display of grit, dedication & hard work through its marvelous performance in various fields.
Shramik Special Trains: Meeting hearts and families
Starting from 2nd May, 2020 till 25th May, 2020, Western Railway has despatched 1031 Shramik Special trains while following all norms of social distancing. Out of the these, Mumbai Division has run 550 trains & Ahmedabad Division has run 243 trains, while remaining were operated by Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Ratlam divisions of WR. By running of these Shramik Special trains, more than 15 lakh migrant labours and their families have safely reached their hometowns in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir. On 25th May, 2020, total 60 trains continued to run as per schedule & thus till now more than 1031 shramik spl trains run by WR has transported about 15 lakh migrant labourers to their native states. Out of 60 trains operated on 25th May, 2020, total 25 trains departed for Uttar Pradesh, 18 for Bihar, 8 for Odisha, 4 for Jharkhand & one each to Kerala, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan ,& Madhya Pradesh.
The wheels roll on even in tough times: Parcel Special Trains
From 22nd March to 24th May, 2020, total 4567 rakes of goods trains also have been used to supply essential commodities amounting to 9.22 million tonnes. 9025 freight trains were interchanged with other railways, including 4542 trains handed over and 4483 trains taken over at different interchange points. 267 Millennium Parcel rakes of Parcel Vans / Railway Milk Tankers (RMTs) have been sent to different parts of the country to cope with the demands of essential materials such as milk powder, liquid milk, medical supplies and other general consumer goods. It's worth mentioning, that since 23rd March to 24th May 2020, commodities weighing more than 40 thousand tonnes have been transported by Western Rly through its 266 parcel special trains, which included agricultural produce, medicines, fish, milk etc. The earnings generated through this transportation, has been approx Rs 12.22 crore. Under this transportation, thirty two milk special trains were run by Western Rly, with a load of more than 23,500 tonnes and 100% utilization of the wagons, generating revenue of approx Rs 4.04 crore. Similarly, 230 Covid-19 special parcel trains were also run to transport essential commodities, for which the revenue earned was more than Rs 7.41 crore. In addition to this, 4 indented rakes were also run with 100% utilization for earnings of approximately Rs. 78 lakh. Starting from March 2020 till now, Western Railway recorded total loss of earnings inclusive of suburban & non - suburban sections of Rs. 1016.39 crore on account of lockdown. Inspite of this, resulting to the cancellation of tickets, Western Railway has ensured to return refund amount of Rs 280.69 crore. It's worth mentioning that in this refund amount, Mumbai division alone, has ensured refund of Rs 134.78 crore. Till now, 43.07 lakh passengers have cancelled their tickets over entire Western Railway & have received their refund amount accordingly.
The Frontline Warriors: Medical Fraternity of Western Railway
In the global war against Coronavirus, the medical fraternity is our true hero of the hour. Jagjivan Ram Hospital (JRH) at Mumbai Central, a 361 bedded tertiary care Hospital of Western Railway has been converted into 172 bedded COVID Hospital and COVID-19 positive are being admitted and treated in this hospital since 5th April, 2020. Till date, a total of 555 Coronavirus patients have been treated .Out of which, a total of 341 cases were positive and 179 patients have been discharged after cure. Another 150 suspected cases were also discharged after treatment. Patients are admitted from triage area with proper history and counseling for both patients and relatives. The team at JRH have also taken special measure for indoor patients and staff working in the isolation wards to lift their spirits in this scary time. Western Railway salutes the dedication and hardwork of its Coronavirus Warriors.
https://epaper.freepressjournal.in/2688945/Free-Press-Mumbai-Edition/27-May-2020#page/12/1
