Odisha: Intra-state trains get poor response on first day
BHUBANESWAR: Intra-state train services, which were stopped since March 22 for lockdown restrictions, have been resumed from Monday. Six major trains connecting Bhubaneswar with Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bhadrak, Koraput, Berhampur and Balangir got poor response on its first day of the service.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said Khurda Road-Sambalpur special train received only 67 passengers against it’s capacity of 794 seats. It’s pairing train Sambalpur-Khurda Road special witnessed 230 passengers on board on Monday. Similarly, 230 passengers travelled in Bhubaneswar-Balangir special with a capacity of 867 seats. It’s pairing train Balangir-Bhubaneswar special got only 152 passengers against 867 seats.
Even the intra-state trains like Bhubaneswar-Berhampur special received only 20 passengers against it’s capacity of 648 seats. Bhubaneswar-Rourkela special also got only 123 passengers against 1266 seats. Other trains Bhubaneswar-Berhampur and Bhubaneswar-Koraput special also got less number of passengers on its first day of service, sources said.
JP Mishra, chief public relations officer of ECoR, said the most important thing is to provide communication link for citizens to travel in case of emergency. “At least one train in each direction is now available. This is just the beginning. We request the passengers to maintain social distance and observe all health protocols including wearing masks,” he added.
The people who have some urgent works were travelling in the trains. “My father’s condition is not well. My family members have been calling me during last two days to come home. I got a confirmed ticket and going Balangir,” said Subash Suna, a construction worker, staying in the city.
Persons with confirmed tickets were allowed to board the train. Trains were sanitized by the ECoR before it reached the originating stations. Passengers had reached the boarding stations 90 minutes before the train starts its journey. The Railway staff conducted health screening of the passengers at the entry point of the station premises. Wearing masks was mandatory for passengers.
“Number of passengers was very less against the number of seats, so there were no congestion in the trains. Social distancing have been maintained by the passengers in the trains,” said a senior officer.
All these six trains will run as special trains between June 8 and July 1. No local train movement wil be allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, five trains will run five days and one train connecting Bhubaneswar with Koraput will run three days a week, said ECoR sources.
Tickets are available on passenger reservation system (PRS) counters at different railway stations. It is also available online in the IRCTC website.
Meanwhile, 220 Shramik Special trains have reached Odisha so far by carrying more than 2.7 lakh migrant workers stranded in different parts of the country. One train from Madgaon in Goa reached Balasore on Monday. No Shramik Special train will leave for Odisha on Monday, said ECoR sources.