Mumbai local trains to resume services for COVID-19 emergency workers from June 15

File photo

Mumbai: The local trains in Mumbai will resume operations from Monday (June 15, 2020) only for essential service workers and employees working in private medical sector. The announcement was made jointly by Central and Western Railway along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The Western Railway (WR) will run 73 pairs of suburban services including eight pairs between Virar and Dahanu Road. These trains will run from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm with an interval of approximately 15 minutes. Maximum services will run between Churchgate and Virar, but few will also run upto Dahanu Road. These services will run as fast local train between CCG and Borivali, and will run as slow beyond Borivali.

The Central Railway (CR) is likely to operate nearly 200 train services and WR will operate 120 services for essential employees daily. From CSMT to Kasara, Karjat, Kalyan, Thane at least 130 services and from CSMT to Panvel 70 services. The halts will be at major stations only, as that of fast locals. The arrival and departure train timings arriving at CSMT will be at — 7 hrs, 9 hrs, 10 hrs, 15 hrs, 21 hrs, 23 hrs; departing from CSMT will be at — 7 hrs, 9hrs, 15 hrs, 18 hrs, 21 hrs, 23 hrs.

Approximately 1.25 lakh essential staff which includes 50 thousand on Western Railway, as identified by the state government, are expected to travel by these trains. These special suburban services will not be for general passengers/public and will be strictly for essential staff only.

The travelling authority will be applicable as per normal procedure over WR and CR and certain booking windows will be opened for the same, on which respective staff will be facilitated on showing their government issued ID cards.

It has been decided to extend the validity of the season ticket to the extent of days lost. The same shall be permitted at the UTS counters at the stations to those permitted by the State Government. UTS counters may also issue fresh tickets/season tickets to persons permitted by State Government of Maharashtra.

The Railway workman special trains, already running will continue to run.

Entry will be given at stations strictly through ID cards of essential staff as identified by the State Government. Later on, the staff will be issued QR based E-passes which will also bear colour coding to enable swifter ticket checking. State Government will ensure the same.

Railways as well as the state government will ensure multiple rounds of checking to ensure only essential staff as identified by the State Government, should board these trains.

The state government has been urged to ensure all those allowed to travel, are done so after ensuring that they are medically fit and do not come from containment zone. To allow adequate social distancing in the coaches, unlike its seating capacity to accommodate about 1,200 persons, only about 700 are to be allowed per train.

Further the state government is advised to issued staggered office timings for workers coming from different areas to ensure no crowding at the stations and inside the trains.

A "NO HAWKER and NO PARKING ZONE" zone will be strictly imposed in station and around 150 meter radius. Approach roads to stations shall be ensured to enable smooth passage of identified passengers and prevent any mass gathering of public at station premises by respective Municipal Corporations in their respective areas.

Ambulances will be kept at each station alongwith the medical staff to deal with the emergency situation arises during the travel of commuters by respective Municipal Corporations. The RPF, GRP, State Police will be deployed at various stations.