PATNA: Even as Covid-19 cases have been declining across the country, the railways has decided to implement fresh guidelines in light of an SOP (standard operating procedure) issued by ministry of home affairs (MHA) to follow Covid-19 protocol by passengers during their journey in trains.
According to ECR chief public relations officer (CPRO) Birendra Kumar, passengers have to either wear masks or cover their faces while entering the railway premises to board passenger trains. “On arrival at their destination points, passengers are required to follow Covid protocol while making an exit from the station premises in and outside the states,” he said.
He said, “Railways is still taking full precaution at the time of washing empty rakes of passenger coaches and accordingly these are being sanitised prior to placement of rakes on platforms or departure of the trains from the originating stations.”
The CPRO further said railway safety staff and RPF personnel deployed on duty at the Patna junction have been tasked to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol by passengers. “They are also implementing Covid guidelines at major stations, including Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Patliputra Junction and Danapur,” Birendra said.
Meanwhile, the railways has taken a policy decision to attach general bogies to most of the long distance mail and express trains originating from different stations of the ECR from next month. This facility was suspended by railways during the pandemic period in 2020.
