Shramik Special trains are being arranged for migrants stuck in Gautam Buddh Nagar due to temporarily closure of industries, factories amid coronavirus outbreak.The trains run from Dadri railway station on Saturday, Express photos by Gajendra Yadav,

In the next 10 days, at least 36 lakh migrants will be travelling on Shramik Special trains, Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav said Saturday.

At a joint press briefing presided over by the MHA and the Railway Ministry in the national capital, Yadav said it’s a tough situation for everyone in the world and the attempt is to move to normalcy gradually. Over 40 lakh migrants have travelled by Shramik Special trains to their respective home towns and villages since May 1 and nearly 80 per cent of the train journeys have been made by migrants labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, he said.

Yadav said that for Shramik Special trains, the “Centre is bearing 85 per cent of the expenditure while states are paying 15 per cent through fares.”

Shramik Special trains were started on May 1 to ferry lakhs of stranded migrant workers across India back to their home towns due to the economic hardship caused by the pandemic-induced nationwide lockdown.

Yadav further said that the Shramik Special trains will continue as long as there is the need for them, adding that free meals, and drinking water are being provided to all the passengers and that social distancing and hygiene protocols are being followed in trains and stations.

Read | Delhi: Migrants in screening line for trains are hosed down with disinfectant

h2>Here are the top points from the press briefing:

# On an average, 260 Shramik Special trains operated every day for last 4 days, carrying 3 lakh passengers daily: Railway Board chairman.

# In next 10 days, 36 lakh migrants will travel on Shramik Special trains; we request states to put forth their needs: Railway Board chairman

# 85 pc of expenditure of Shramik Special trains being borne by Centre, states paying 15 pc in form of fares: Rly Board chairman

# All migrants will reach destination as quickly as possible; Shramik Special trains will continue to run till there is need for it: Railway Board chairman

# 97% booking in the regular trains started from May 12: Chairman Railway Board

# 1000 ticket counters have been opened across India. More to be opened: Chairman Railway Board

# West Bengal Chief Secretary has written to me requesting suspension of #shramikspecials for a few days in light of cyclone: Chairman Railway Board

# Around 50% of the Covid coaches to be used as #ShramikSpecial since they have not been used: Chairman Railway Board

# 17 railway hospitals have been turned into COVID-19 care hospitals: Railway Board chairman.

# Unreserved journey has been stopped for now in the interest of #SocialDistancing Trains will be full only as per designated capacity: Chairman Railway Board

# It’s a tough situation for everyone in the world. Attempt is to move to normalcy gradually. We have studied patterns of demand on routes and trains have been introduced based on that: Chairman Railway Board

# Freight movement ops ensured delivery of 9.7 million tonne foodgrain from Apr 1-May 22; 3,255 Parcel Special Trains run since Mar 22: Railway Board chairman