The East Coast Railway (ECoR) said it would convert 261 coaches into quarantine facilities by April 15.
After conversion, they will be attached to form trains and will be kept at stations with all the medical facilities.
The conversion is being done at the coaching depots and workshops situated across the ECoR zone.
According to the ECoR, the Mancheswar workshop will have 51 converted coaches. Similarly, the coaching depots at Puri will have 39, Bhubaneswar 46, Sambalpur 32, Vishakhapatnam 60 and at the Khurda Road station 33.
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As on Thursday, conversion of 23 coaches has been completed — one each at Mancheswar and Khurda Road, five at Puri, six each at Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur and four at Vishakhapatnam.
“All essential facilities required by an individual will be provided in the coaches. Mosquito nets at windows, one bathroom and three toilets in a coach, removal of middle berth, six liquid soap dispensers in each coach, four bottle holders and three dustbins in each coupe, laptop and mobile charging facilities, pillow and bedsheets, plastic curtain at both ends of aisle area, mug and buckets in the bathrooms will be provided,” said a spokesperson here.
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Medical facilities like oxygen cylinders will also be provided. The first cabin of each coach will be used for stores or paramedics and other cabins for patients, said the ECoR.
It has been decided to keep three trains each at Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam, two each at Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Puri, one each at Titlagarh, Vizianagaram and Cuttack.
