COVID-19: Parcel trains loaded 20,474 tonnes of essential goods during lockdown

New Delhi: Since its start during the lockdown period, the parcel service trains have loaded 20,474 tonnes of consignments and earned around Rs 7.54 crore in revenue, the railways said in a statement on Wednesday.

These trains which transport essential items like medical supplies, medical equipment, food, etc in small parcel sizes have been a part of efforts by the railways to ensure supply of essential items across the country during the lockdown.

Railways have decided to run time-tabled Parcel Special trains on select routes, to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential items.

"Zonal Railways are regularly identifying and notifying routes for these Parcel Special trains. Presently these trains are being operated on 65 routes," it said.

These routes have been identified to include regular connectivity between major cities of the country, like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, connectivity from state-capitals/important cities to all parts of the state, ensuring connectivity to the North-eastern part of the country.

It also enables supply of milk and dairy products from surplus regions like Gujarat to high demand regions and the supply of other essential items like agricultural inputs, medicines, medical equipment, etc) from producing regions to other parts of the country.

"On April 14, till 18:00 hours, 77 trains were run, out of which 75 were time-tabled Parcel Special trains. 1,835 tonnes of material was loaded, giving an earning of Rs 63 lacs to Railways in one day.

"The total number of trains run from the lockdown period till 18:00 hours on April 14 is 522, out of which 458 have been timetabled trains.

"20,474 tonnes of consignments have been loaded, and the earnings have been around Rs 7.54 crores," the railways said.