Indian Railways extends passenger services suspension till May 3 mirroring Covid lockdown

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of Coronavirus will be extended till May 3 as India can't allow the virus to spread any further. Minutes after that, Indian Railways extended the suspension of its passenger train services till May 3.

'Shall continue to remain suspended'

All passenger train services on Indian Railways including Premium trains, Mail/Express trains, Passenger trains, Suburban Trains, Kolkata Metro Rail, Konkan Railway etc shall continue to remain suspended till the 2400 hrs of 3rd May, said the Ministry of Railways in a statement.

In order to assist railway passengers, other citizens and help resolve issues in freight operations, Indian Railways has upscaled the helpline facilities after the imposition of a countrywide lockdown. Since the facilities have been put in place, Railway personnel have responded to over 2,05,000 queries in first two weeks of lockdown on designated communication platforms, 90% (over 1,85,000) of which were handled through direct human interaction over the phone.

Railway control office has been doing 24x7 monitoring of four communication and feedback platforms- Helplines-139, 138, social media (especially Twitter) and email (railmadad@rb.railnet.gov.in). This is to ensure a seamless flow of information and suggestions between Railway Administration and the general public during the lockdown.

PM Modi announces extension of lockdown

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the lockdown across the country will be extended till May 3 to fight the coronavirus pandemic, saying the measure has produced a significant outcome in containing the infection. In a nearly 25-minute televised address to the nation, Modi said implementation of the lockdown will be strictly ensured in its second phase and detailed guidelines will be brought out on Wednesday to ensure that outbreak does not spread to new areas.

Some relaxations may be allowed after April 20 in places where there are no hotspots, he said. "Follow the rules of lockdown with full devotion till May 3, stay where you are, stay safe," the Prime Minister told citizens.

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The Prime Minister said some relaxation may be allowed in some areas and the scope of coronavirus testing will be expanded significantly. "Till April 20, every town, every police station, every district, every state will be tested on how much they are adhering to the lockdown; how much the areas have protected themselves from coronavirus. It will be observed. 

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"Some necessary activities may be allowed in areas that will pass this litmus test; areas which will not be among the hotspots and are less likely to turn into hotspots," he said. 

A total number of 10,363 cases of novel Coronavirus have been reported in India. So far, 339 people have succumbed to the infection in the country, while 1,035 patients have been cured. There are 8,988 active cases in the country, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

PM Modi's 7-point mantra for India to defeat Coronavirus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelled out a seven-point mantra as he announced an extension of India's Coronavirus lockdown until May 3, as he addressed the nation on Tuesday. 

1. Take care of those in the family who already have a history of health issues, and the elderly

2. Lockdown and social distancing must be strictly followed. Use homemade face masks mandatorily.

3. In order to increase immunity, follow AYUSH ministry's advisory

4. To stop the spread of COVID, download Aarogya Setu mobile app and encourage others to do so as well

5. Try to help the poor as much as possible, especially with food

6. Don't layoff employees during the lockdown period

7. Salute the COVID warriors and help them 

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(With PTI inputs)