Kolkata, Nov 11 (UNI) The suburban train services, the backbone of transportation connecting people in rural Bengal and cities and towns, began chugging off from different stations connecting Howrah and Sealdah for the first time nearly in 8 months.
The services, which were suspended in the third week of March last due to covid-19 situation, however, began early on Wednesday after the Indian Railways and West Bengal senior officials agreed to maintain social distancing and covid-19 protocol to combat against the spreading of pandemic.
However, such social distancing inside the compartments was next to impossible given the rush and available of fleets of trains, a daily commuter said, after alighting at Dum Dum Junction station from Sealdah bound Bongaon local in North 24 Parganas.
Indian Railways said altogether 696 suburban services of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway will run from 05.00 hours to 2300 hours daily. Of them, 413 will be plied in Sealdah division and 202 in the Howrah division and 81 at Kharagpur division.
The railway authorities in coordination with the state government have been watching the movement of the commuters, who have been wearing face masks.
The railways also maintained all possible covid protocols using sprays and sanitizing the station premises, train compartments and warning the commuters against laxity in following covid-19 protocols.
Hundreds of BJP activists carrying party flags chanted Jay Shree Ram and showered flowers on the commuters at Sealdah and Howrah stations to greet the beginning of the suburban train services, which are a indispensable for economic activities.
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