Officials of the South Central Railway (SCR) have taken steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus and protect passengers and railway employees from the epidemic. Awareness programmes are being taken up at railway stations on maintaining hygiene on platforms and on moving trains.
Many passengers were cancelling their reserved tickets and there was a drop in the footfall in major railway stations in the zone, the railway authorities said.
Sanitation workers and the Medical and Health department staff of the SCR were seen cleaning the seating arms, door and window grills, railings on platforms, compartments and at the ticket issuing counters with sanitisers on Sunday.
“We cancelled all meetings, training programmes, conferences and workshops for one month as per the advisory of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the authorities of Indian Railways. Instructions have been issued to all station directors and masters in this regard,” said Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) P. Srinivas.
Isolation wards had been arranged at Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Bitragunta, Gudur and other hospitals. Special teams would be provided in the stations for providing treatment to suspected patients. The railway hospital superintendents, medical officers and in-charges were instructed to be in touch with the district officials concerned, the DRM said.
Cancellations
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM) P. Bhaskar Reddy said cancellation of reserved tickets had gone up in many routes in the past few days.
“SCR is taking all preventive measures. Public announcements are being made in the stations on dos and don’ts, and we are maintaining temperatures in all AC coaches between 23° and 25° Celsius. We request passengers to use online ticket booking as a precautionary measure,” he said.
Training programmes were conducted for the staff in all railway hospitals and dispensaries to handle suspected coronavirus cases. Heads of all wings were directed not to hold any gatherings and conferences.
Surprise checks
Railway officials were making surprise visits to canteens, juice and fruit stalls and fast food centres on railway premises besides toilets and waiting halls and appealing to the establishment owners and passengers to maintain hygiene.
“We are supplying bedsheets and pillows as usual, but woollen blankets are being provided on demand only. Reserved passengers are being intimated through SMS accordingly. If passengers do not want to use the blankets and bedsheets being supplied by railway staff, they can make their own arrangements,” Mr. Bhaskar Reddy said.
