Northeast Frontier Railway converts 315 coaches to COVID-centres with adequate amenities

The Indian Railways Northeast Frontier is ready with 315 isolation coaches to cater to the needs of various northeastern states as well as Bihar and West Bengal. The Northeast Frontier Railway started working on converting these coaches into isolation coaches in the last week of March. As the nation fights Coronavirus, every wing and unit of the government is joining hands to flatten the curve and help the country fight the pandemic. Indian Railway too played an important role as an organisation in this fight.

The contribution of the Indian Railway is not just limited to helping the migrants return home through Shramik Special Trains, but it also contributed towards building the medical infrastructure. In this bid, across the country, several coaches were converted to special isolation coaches. The NF Railway converted 315 coaches. The 315 coaches made by NF Railway are now ready to cater to the needs of various state governments. 

Chief Public Relations Officer of the NF Railway, Subhanan Chanda informed Republic Media Network that these coaches can be used for the treatment of patients in places where medical infrastructure is an issue. He said, "We are ready with the coaches. As and when we get a request from the state governments, we can provide these coaches to them." 

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20 stations identified

He also added that the NF Railway has already identified 20 stations where all the facilities are available to place these coaches.  These stations are- Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Kamakhya, Katihar, Lumding, New Bongaigaon, New Cooch Behar, Agartala, Alipurduar Junction, Ambasa, Badarpur, New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, New Tinsukia, Rangapara North, Rangiya, Silchar, Mariani, Murkongselek and New Alipurduar.

It may be mentioned that each coach can accommodate 15 patients in state-of-the-art facilities which also include facilities at par with a semi-ICU. So far the NF Railway has not received any requisition from any state government in this zone. The NF Railway caters to Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

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