The state government also said it would run trains requested by it free for migrant labourers. (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi)

The UP government on Thursday announced that four trains from New Delhi to bring back stranded migrant workers would run daily and another three trains to Bihar daily. These trains will start from Friday. The state government also said it would run trains requested by it free for migrant labourers.

Speaking at the media briefing on Thursday, Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi said, “The CM (Yogi Adityanath) has said that the trains from Delhi for migrants will also be started. We have written to the chief secretary (Delhi) to start four trains from Delhi every day. He has agreed, and from tomorrow (Friday), four trains from Delhi will come to UP every day. Along with this, trains for migrants stranded in Ghaziabad and Noida will also be started for (other parts of) UP and for Bihar as well. We have spoke to chief secretary, Bihar as well. This is good news for those workers who are in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida. These trains will start from tomorrow. From Saharanpur, three trains will be started every day for Bihar for people who had come from Haryana to Saharanpur.”

Adityanath said passengers would not be charged for trains running from UP and for trains bringing back state workers.

“These expenses will be taken care of by the state government… Under no condition, on any train being run by the UP government, money will be charged,” said Awasthi and added that Railways will be paid in advance.

Awasthi said a sizeable number of trains were coming to the state. “Till 2 pm today, 318 trains have come to the state, bringing back 3.84 lakh people. Today, 15 trains have already come and a total of 67 trains have come to the state,” said Awasthi