First Rajdhani leaves Mumbai: Railways packs people in train to Delhi

Outsiders who were stuck in city throng Mumbai Central to take the first Rajdhani out; next seven days fully booked

Even as more than a thousand excited passengers set out from Mumbai Central on the very first special Rajdhani Express since the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed, information came in that all the seats were booked, making social distancing inside the air-conditioned train near impossible to maintain. However, the railways defended the move saying that the passengers had been doubly screened and made to wear masks.

The railways further said that maintaining social distancing inside the train and downloading the Aarogya Setu App were part of the guidelines. Speaking to mid-day, Western Railway chief public relations officer, Ravinder Bhakar, said, "All the passengers were screened before they boarded the train and only asymptomatic people have been allowed to travel. Proper norms of social distancing have been followed. In addition to this, masks have been made mandatory during travel and even downloading the Aarogya Setu app."

A WR spokesperson says that a total of 1,487 passengers have booked tickets for the train

Sixty-year-old passenger, Mamata Khatri was one of the passengers to reach the station as early as 12 noon for the 5:30 pm train. Dressed in a Hazmat PPE suit, Khatri who was staying with her son in Airoli, Navi Mumbai was happy to finally be able to return to her daughter's place in Gurgaon.

"I am happy that finally train services are starting. My journey is important because my daughter in Gurgaon is pregnant and she needs me. I am dressed this way because the journey needs to be safe and I do not want to be a problem for anyone. I had booked the kit on an online booking site on May 1," she said.

"I came in early because the railways had asked us to be here much before time and also because I stay far away. I did not want to take a risk, as it is usually a two-hour journey from Airoli to Mumbai Central. If cops stopped me on the way for checks, then I would have got delayed. But I reached the station within an hour. I did not want to miss the train under any circumstances," she added.

Another passenger, Deepak Kumar, said that he was on a visit to Mumbai when the lockdown started. "I'm going back to my family almost after two months. It is a great relief," he said.

Another passenger, Sanjay Sonputre, who was on his way to his home in Surat, said that he had also reached early but was asked to wait in the ticket booking hall.

When asked whether he faced any problems on the train later, he said everything went on smoothly. Another commuter, Archana said that she was very happy to return to Delhi. "I was stuck here and my parents are in New Delhi. They have been waiting for me to return since two months."

The Mumbai Central station has been barricaded and only those with valid and confirmed tickets were allowed inside. Circles were marked out on the platform and passengers were made to stand in two queues following social distancing rules.

The special train carried 1,107 passengers from Mumbai. A Western Railway spokesperson said that a total of 1,487 passengers had booked tickets for the train, of which 97 will board at Surat, 83 at Vadodara, 23 at Ratlam and 177 at Kota Junction.

A commuter, Malay Tripathi, who has booked a ticket for his mother for May 14, said, "No transport is available. How will we reach Mumbai Central from Malad?" Another commuter, Akki Sharma said he lives in Virar and there was no way to reach Mumbai Central from there. "The railways should sort this out quickly," he said.

1,487
No. of passengers who booked tickets on the train

1,107
No. of passengers on the special train from Mumbai

Migrant trains to run full

In a late night order on Monday, the railways said that migrant trains would now halt at three stations in between and that train capacity can be equal to the number of sleeper berths in it, instead of the earlier regulation of running at 50 per cent capacity to maintain social distancing

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