1st spl train from state capital leaves for New Delhi
Bhubaneswar: It was a sense of huge relief for many who boarded the first AC special train from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi on Wednesday. As many as 916 passengers, including 527 from Bhubaneswar, had bought the tickets for this train. Among them were stranded pilgrims, tourists and employees of government and private agencies.
While many would be returning home in this train, some would be going to meet their children staying in Delhi. A group of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, who had come for training here before the lockdown was announced, too boarded the train.
“I had come to Jajpur in search of work in a private company after Holi. I was staying with a few village friends. The company had assured me of a job, but the lockdown changed everything. My family in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh had to send me money through a friend’s account. We had a harrowing time managing with very little cash on us,” 22-year-old Sachin Kumar said. He added that Jajpur has turned into a red zone and he is scared of the situation. “Fortunately, I along with a friend managed to get the tickets. There is no point in staying here because I don’t have a job. Some of my friends have booked tickets for the next train to return home. Our family members have been asking us to return home as soon as possible,” he said.
Vinod Kumar, an employee of a cement company’s office in Cuttack, said he was waiting to return home to Sravasti in Uttar Pradesh, but the lockdown jinxed his plans. “I am so happy to be finally going back home after several months. I will take the help of the local people to reach home after getting down at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction,” he added.
Dillip Swain, an Odia, said his wife and children are staying in New Delhi. “I am a contractor and was working here on some projects. I was stranded in Bhubaneswar because of the lockdown. I need to go home to see what my children are doing there,” he smiled.
The Railways resumed limited passenger train operations on May 12 after 52 days. The scene at the railway station on Wednesday morning was very different from the days before the lockdown. Instead of entering the railway station en masse, people were standing in a queue maintaining social distance.
Passengers were screened before being allowed on to the station premises. Only those with confirmed tickets were allowed to enter the station. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were doing the screening and checking of one person at a time at the platform 1 side. Passengers were asked to enter the station from the Master Canteen side. They entered the platform wearing masks. They were moving forward by stepping on to the circles drawn to ensure social distancing on the platform.
“The authorities have installed a foot-operated hand sanitizer stand for the use of passengers and employees at the station. Passengers boarded the train one hour before the train left the station. They were provided with water bottle, toilet paper and soap. The seating arrangements were done in a such way that social distancing could be maintained among passengers. Passengers were asked to bring their own food and blankets for reasons of convenience,” East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said.
The train left at 10am and is scheduled to reach New Delhi at 10.45am on Thursday. Railway employees were seen clapping and cheering up the passengers when the train was leaving the station. People were also waving at the railway staff with ‘Thank You’ cards in hand.
The train from New Delhi will leave the station at 5.05pm on Thursday and reach Bhubaneswar at 5.25pm the next day. The station staff is getting prepared to receive the passengers.