Coronavirus update: Indian Railways cancels all passenger trains till March 31

The Indian
Railways said on Sunday all passengers trains across the country will not run
till March 31 extending its initial order of cancelling trains only on March 22
for the Janta Curfew as the number of Covid-19 patients rose to 341 in India.

The order
issued by the ministry of railways said goods trains will continue to run to
ensure essential services and that all suburban trains services, including
those on the Central and Western Railway, will also be stopped till March 31.

“All
originating long-distance mail/Express and Intercity trains (including premium
trains) and all originating passenger trains shall remain cancelled till 2400
hours of 31.03.2020,” it said in a circular.

“As advised
earlier, suburban trains and trains of Metro Railway, Kolkata shall be
continued at bare minimum level until 2400 hours of 22.03.2020. Thereafter, all
suburban trains and trains of Metro Railway, Kolkata shall be totally cancelled
from 2400 hours of 22.03.2020 to 2400 hours of 31.03.2020,” it added.

The decision
was taken following a high-level meeting with the members of the Railway Board
and the cabinet secretary on Sunday.

Two more
Covid-19-linked deaths were also reported—one in Bihar and the other in
Mumbai—taking the total number of deaths to six across the country so far.

The move
comes a day after two state governments—West Bengal and Jharkhand ordered to
ban entry of all train till March 31.

Before this,
the railways issued an advisory to those under quarantine to not travel by
trains after the national transporter found at least 12 passengers flouting
self-quarantine norms and subsequently testing positive for Sar-Cov-2.

Two more
passengers were deboarded from the Mumbai to Delhi Rajdhani on Saturday
evening. Officials of the railways ministry said the passengers were returning
from Dubai and asked to get down at Surat after their quarantine stamps were
identified.