Secunderabad station’s two main platforms -- one and 10 -- have been equipped with thermal scanners to randomly check passengers arriving at the premier station to get onto the trains for their onward journeys, to arrest the spread of COVID-19 from Thursday onwards.
General Manager Gajannan Mallya held discussions with the top department heads at the Rail Nilayam to discuss further measures to control the contagion, and following directions received from the Railway Board, it was decided to cancel 42 trains till the month end on various days due to low occupancy.
“Trains are cancelled keeping in view the availability of alternate trains for passengers and ensuring that no passenger remains stranded. Full refund is being given to all the passengers whose train has been cancelled,” informed railway officials.
It was also decided to stop providing concession on both reserved and unreserved railway tickets for senior citizens from March 20 to dissuade them from travelling because those above age of 60 are considered to be more vulnerable to the corona virus as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).
No cancellation charges are to be levied on tickets purchased before Friday and in case of any travel, the difference in the fare - full fare minus the concessional fare, is to be collected online or in the train from the senior citizens, said chief PRO Ch. Rakesh.
Railway authorities also appealed to the passengers to avoid non-essential train journeys and to ensure that they do not have running fever while they are commencing the journey. And, at any point of journey if a passenger feels that he or she is having fever, the railway staff can be contacted for medical attention and further assistance. The staff on its own will not disembark any passenger despite any visible signs of sickness in view of the sensitivities involved, he said.
Trains bound towards H. Nizamuddin, Jammu Tawi, Mumbai, Pune, Villupuram, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Yesvantpur, Kakinada Town, Raxual, Darbhanga and so on are on the cancelled services list.
