Nagpur station shut down for passengers, minimum maintenance crews present

Nagpur: The Nagpur station has been shut with bare minimum staff manning the station for operating some non-passenger coaching and freight trains and for security.
On Tuesday, around a dozen long-distance coaching trains passed through Nagpur to reach their originating stations for primary maintenance. One reason for the return of trains was lack of space at the end stations where these trains had reached before the withdrawal of operations. “This was done for rake balancing,” says ACM (Goods) SG Rao.

With the suspension of train operations, mechanical department’s role now is crucial in maintaining trains that have been held up in the yard. Railway Board on Tuesday issued an advisory asking to avoid congregation of people and regulate the working of coaching depots.
Senior divisional mechanical engineer (SrDME) Akhilesh Choubey said, “Timings of most of the trains originating from Nagpur are in the evening. Hence, these can be maintained in the morning the same day after orders to restart operations are issued. As of now all these trains have been locked and stationed in the yard.”
“We are focusing on freight train maintenance now for which teams have been segregated for social distancing. In-office also not more than 5% of staff is working. The contractual staff has been sent home after sanitizing entire station, waiting for halls and rooms etc,” he added.
Officials said Indian Railways is working 24X7 to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities across the nation. Commodities like foodgrains, salt, sugar, milk, edible oil, onions, fruits and vegetables, petroleum products, coal etc are being loaded at railway terminals.
Nagpur being a coal loading division, no essential commodities are being loaded here.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, passenger train operations across the country have been suspended till March 31, 2020. During the situation of lockdown in various states, railways staff deployed at various good sheds, stations and control offices is working to ensure the supply of essential items does not get affected.
Officials said on March 23, 2020, 474 rakes were loaded for essential commodities like food grains, salt, edible oil, sugar, milk, fruits & vegetables, onion, coal and petroleum products.
During the day total, 891 rakes were loaded in the country, which also includes other important commodities like 121 rakes of iron ore, 48 rakes of steel, 25 rakes of cement, 28 rakes of fertilizer, 106 container rakes etc
“Close coordination is being maintained with the state governments so that rakes of essential commodities are handled smoothly without any delay, amid various restriction imposed in the wake of Covid-19,” they said.
Meanwhile, like administrative and other staff, trackmen have also demanded alternative day working considering the threat to them while working in groups. TOI found these trackmen sit together to have food during break and social distancing is not maintained.
In another development, the All India Guards Council (AIGC) has demanded to stop of biometric attendance and start signing off by using ID and password, providing good quality hand wash, hygiene at the lobby, isolating and disinfecting all beds at running rooms, sanitizing brake vans of goods train at every station.