Railways helping migrant workers reach their home state without any trouble: Railway Board chairman

New Delhi: Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav on Friday (May 29) said that over 52 lakh labourers have traveled in Shramik Special Trains started from May 1 to take migrant workers to their home state. He also added that Indian Raliways have plied 3840 trains so far.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav said, "So far, more than 52 lakh labourers have traveled in Shramik Special Trains started from May 1 to take migrant workers to their home state."

The Railway Board chairman said the states have been provided with as many trains as they demanded. "On Thursday, we ran 137 trains for migrant workers across the country," he said. The railways, however, hinted that the demand for Shramik Special trains is gradually coming down from states.

Yadav further said that states have been told that Railways will provide trains whenever they require. "So far, migrant workers who have gone to other states or to their home state, 80% of them have gone to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar."

"In this difficult phase, Railways is trying its best. As many as 12,00000 Railways employees are engaged in this hour of need to make every train reach its destination on time," Yadav said, adding that some trains were definitely diverted but it was done due to congestion and denied that they were lost.

Yadav also said that Railway is charging only 15% fare of the operation cost of the Shramik Special trains from states and added, "If we run these trains for free, it would become difficult to manage them."

Several states have sought trains for migrant workers saying more than 1400 will travel but in reality, only 500 to 600 workers travelled, he said, adding "this is the reason we are asking for the minimum fare from states to have better management."