7 trains ferry 10,000 migrant workers to other states

Seven South Western Railway (SWR) zone special trains ferried 10,059 migrant workers back home to five Indian states amid Covid pandemic, an official said on Tuesday.

"The first shramik special train from Mysuru left Kabakaputtur station near Mysuru at 2.38 p.m. with 1,428 passengers to Bapudam Motihari in Bihar," said a SWR zone official.

Bapudam Motihari is 154 km north of Bihar capital Patna.

Tuesday's second special train with 1,076 migrants departed Chikka Bannavara station from the outskirts of Bengaluru at 3.30 p.m. to Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

Haridwar is 53 km south of Uttarakhand capital Dehradun.

The third special train from Malur near Bengaluru to Danapur in Bihar departed at 5:03 p.m. with 1,527 migrants.

"The migrant workers were happy as they could not make it in the earlier 6 special trains that left for Danapur," said the official.

Danapur is 14 km west of Patna.

The fourth special train with 1,520 migrants left Chikka Bannavara station for Lucknow at 5.52 p.m.

Similarly, Tuesday's fifth special train departed Malur station for Purila in West Bengal at 7:15 p.m. with 1,548 migrants.

Purila is 292 km northwest of Kolkata.

Likewise, the sixth train from Chikka Bannavara station to Lucknow departed at 7:58 p.m. with 1,520 passengers.

"This is the 10th special train to LucknowAfrom Bengaluru,a said the official.

The last special train left from Malur to Hatia in Jharkhand with 1,440 migrants departed at 9:10 p.m.

In addition to the Bengaluru and Mysuru special trains, one more such train was operated by the Southern Railway from Mangaluru to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

Prayagraj is 201 km away from Lucknow.

The special trains are being organized following the Union Ministry of Home Affairs granting permission for the movement of stranded migrant labourers, workers, students, tourists and others.

"As per the list provided by state government, arrangements of train services for approximately 10,059 citizens were made for them to return to their native place from Bengaluru and Mysuru," said the official.

Mobilised in Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, each returnee was supplied with victuals of such as two water bottles, dates, cookies and buttermilk for their journey.

Special trains apart, another train with 1,074 passengers left KSR Bengaluru station at 8:30 p.m. for New Delhi, following the partial resumption of normal services.