They shone through the lockdown by determinedly doing their jobs; they did not just keep food and essential supply chain alive, but some went out of their way to provide food and aid, and masks for those in need, even as railways stepped up to manufacture PPEs
On May 7, 2020, the ministry of railways announced that it had converted 5,231 railway coaches to COVID Care Centers
The COVID-19 pandemic saw railway workshops in Mumbai turn to manufacturing PPE kits and sanitisers. Railway community halls were also turned into quarantine centres.
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The Western Railways has manufactured 3,900 PPE suits till date
The railways had been shut intermittently during the World Wars, monsoon, terror attacks and completely for some time during the 1974 rail strike. However, the COVID-19 lockdown was historic. “The lockdown and railway shut down came into effect from the midnight of March 22, 2020. No passenger trains were run, only full-fledged freight and limited military movement trains were running. Strikes, bandhs, train serial blasts, terror attacks and technical failures have affected trains, but it has mostly been localised, and if they did affect the rail services nationally, it was for a limited period, never at this scale,” a senior official said.
The Jagjivan Ram Hospital Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital, divisional railway hospitals at Kalyan, Bhusaval, Solapur, Nagpur and Pune have been attending to COVID patients. In Maharashtra, a 641-bed capacity COVID Care Centre and 1,040-bed capacity quarantine care centre have been developed for railway employees. Central Railway workshops in Maharashtra manufactured about 37,319 litres of sanitiser, more than 2.7 lakh face masks and 28,269 PPE suits.
Officials said Western Railway teams prepared PPE developed by railway workshops and cleared by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and 3,900 have been produced till date. In addition, 29,000 litres hand sanitiser and 1.61 lakh in-house reusable masks were prepared. On May 7, 2020, the Ministry of Railways announced that it had converted 5,231 railway coaches to COVID Care Centers for very mild cases.
Train guard, family, made masks
Vishal Kalge, a train guard on Miraj division of Central Railway, has made masks with his family for colleagues, and has supplied 3,500. “I found commercially-sold masks expensive. I realised I had to do something myself. I turned to my family and they promptly agreed to help. I bought the right cloth, sanitised it and we stitched masks. My mother, wife and children help me,” Kalge said.
‘Work is always priority’
Manisha Mhaske-Ghorpade was one among the many motor persons who worked in the lockdown. When suburban trains resumed in June 2020 for essential workers, Mhaske began work in full safety gear, face shield and mask, driving a CSMT-Panvel train. She said, “Work is always a priority and one cannot abandon the job in difficult times.”
CR kitchen king
Khushroo Poacha, a superintendent with the Central Railway in Nagpur, received a pat on his back after CM Uddhav Thackeray called him up. He collected food and aid material worth over R40 lakh, which benefited over 6,000 families and two tonnes of rice to feed more than 60,000 poor, through a website and WhatsApp. “I was stunned. I just kept saying ‘thank you, thank you’ to the CM,” he said.
Supply chain kept alive
During the lockdown, the food and essential supply chain was kept alive by Central Railway. V M Rajan, Chief Yard Master of Kalyan Goods yard, ran 311 goods trains by arranging goods drivers, guards and other staff. “These are crucial times, and we must do whatever is possible to keep the essential trains running to keep the supply chain alive. These trains really are lifelines,” Rajan said.
A gateman’s job is challenging
Rajniranjan Choubey, a gateman, is of the silent warriors who played an important role for the smooth running of trains. In the lockdown, he did not abandon his gate hut at the Titwala level crossing. “We are trained and aware of the rules and duties during unusual occurrences. A gateman’s job is challenging. My family stood by me rock solid,” he said.
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