Mumbai has resumed their local train services for essential services only. The Central Railway and the Western Railway have decided to run trains in selective suburban areas so as to make travel easy for essential services workers.
The trains will run between 5:30 am to 11:30 pm with a 15-minute interval. Against its capacity to accommodate about 1,200 people, only 700 people will be allowed per train. The Indian Railways will make sure everyone follows a strict protocol of distancing and also make sure that no one besides the essential workers use the train. Entry will only be provided through an identification card and various rounds of checking will be done so as to catch anyone breaching protocol. It is estimated that there are about 1.25 lakh, essential workers, with about 50,000 on the Western line.
Various medical facilities will also be present at every station so as to cater to anyone who needs help. Only certain booking windows will be open to purchase tickets.
Meanwhile, the state of Maharashtra struggles to contain the spread of coronavirus. The state has about 1.08 lakh cases with about 50,000 recoveries and almost 4,000 deaths. Mumbai alone carries most of these cases. The government is working hard to contain it from areas like Dharavi, which is also Asia’s largest slum. If the virus spreads here, it would almost be impossible to contain it. The government has done wide testing here, going door to door, screening people. Those who showed certain symptoms were shifted to nearby schools and clubs which had been converted into quarantine facilities.
The current number of cases in India have reached almost 3.5 lakhs with about 1.7 lakh recoveries and 9,800 deaths.
