About 1,300 migrant workers boarded the train at the Coimbatore Railway Junction on Monday night to return to Jharkhand.
The number of workers, who can be accommodated in a train, has been increased to 1,464. On Monday, 1,300 workers, who were employed across Coimbatore district, boarded the train. This was the sixth special train leaving Coimbatore with migrant workers, an official said.
The Shramik special train was bound for Bokaro Steel City Railway Station at Jharkhand. Officials from Salem Division of Southern Railway said that the accommodation was increased from 1,140 to 1,464 due to the high number of migrant workers wanting to return home. The accommodation was increased by allowing the passengers in the middle berths of the sleeper coaches, which was not allowed in the earlier Shramik special trains.
However, physical distancing would be ensured in all the 24 coaches and the reduced occupancy for the unreserved coaches and the seating-cum-luggage rake coaches had not been changed, the officials added. The train left Coimbatore Junction at around 10 p.m. on Monday.
Tiruppur
Meanwhile, railway officials said that a second Shramik special train was expected to be operated from Tiruppur Railway Station on Monday, but it was not confirmed. A special train to Bihar might be operated on Tuesday, according to the officials.
On Sunday, Tiruppur saw the operation of the first Shramik special train to Muzaffarpur Junction in Bihar.