South Central Railway (SCR) special milk container train began its 24-hour journey from Renigunta to New Delhi, carrying about 2.4 lakh litres of milk amid reports of shortage of the commodity in the national captial on Thursday.
The zone, on an average every month, ferries around 80 milk containers having a capacity of either 40,000 litres or 44,660 litres by weekly/daily express trains from Renigunta to New Delhi. But now since all the passenger carrying trains have been cancelled, transportation of milk has also been stopped for past few days.
The Railway Board was contacted by the SCR authorities about the issue and it was decided to put in motion a special container train to make up for the non-transport in the last few days. General Manager Gajanan Mallya directed the staff at both Guntakal division and at the headquarters here to prepare for milk tankers fit for loading with all necessary safety precautions.
Railway officials coordinated with local consigners to mobilise the milk offered for loading in six milk tankers at the earliest. These efforts have yielded results and finally the milk tanker special train containing six tankers depart Renigunta on Thursday.” The special train would be moved at an average speed of 110 kmph to reach the destination i.e., Hazarat Nizamuddin, at the earliest,” said Chief PRO Ch. Rakesh.
Despite obvious constraints of getting labour and logistics in view of the countrywide clampdown to control COVID-19, Indian Railways would continue to keep the essential commodities moving across the country, he added.
