Indian Railways completed 167 years starting from Passenger train on April 16, 1853
Indian Railways-Life Line of India on its on 168th year, comes to a halt, amid lockdown
Ferozepur, April 17, 2020: India is having the world’s fourth-largest rail network, which carries 23 million passengers daily shut down due to coronavirus fears on its 168th-year celebrations.
The first passenger train had run on tracks on April 16, 1983 between Bori Bander and Thane in Mumbai covering 34 km distance. But unfortunately, due to lockdown-2.0 throughout the country, in the wake of the Coronavirus threat, celebrate its entry into 168th year, perhaps the first time in the history of railways, without running of 13,523 passenger trains on the tracks. India is having the world’s fourth-largest rail network, which carries 23 million passengers daily, shut down due to coronavirus fears.
The regular passenger the train was started on April 18, 1853, and the trains have been stopped as a precautionary measures to stop the transmission of deadly coronavirus among the community. Not only this, certain coaches have also been converted into Isolation Wards in the event of any exigencies of spread of the virus to keep the corona victims.
According to railway officials, every year, on this day, the exhibitions are put up to celebrate the Railways introduction of the train and more than half of its staff are sitting at home.
Now the railways are known as the Life Line of India when it has spread its track network throughout the country including the remote hilly areas apart of a number of projects in hand. But all have to be put on the parking of trains on the tracks due to coronavirus threat and imposing of curfew, said Divisional Senior Operating Manager, S P Bhatia.
The railways authorities are up in arms to continue the goods trains on tracks to dispatch the essential commodities supplies from one state to another needy state by its dedicated and devoted staff working 24x7 days said DRM Rajesh Aggarwal. He however appealed to the people to remain at home and cooperate with the government to win the battle against coronavirus and move out only in emergent circumstances.