Delhi, Maharashtra seek Indian Railways Covid Care coaches

Amid increasing Covid-19 cases, demand for Covid Care coaches has returned as the Delhi and Maharashtra governments have asked the Indian Railways for isolation coaches to treat Covid-19 patients.

The Delhi government on Sunday urged the railways to arrange up to 5,000 beds by deploying Covid Care coaches at the Shakur Basti and the Anand Vihar stations.

Soon after the request came, the Northern Railways said 50 coaches were kept ready to be used as isolation wards at Delhi’s Shakur Basti and 25 coaches at Anand Vihar.

Earlier, Nandurbar, the district administration in Maharashtra, has sought around 94 coaches and 1,500 beds from Western Railways.

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According to the railways, 6 patients have admitted to the Covid Care coaches at Nandurbar station.

The railways said still 4,002 Covid Care coaches in 16 zones were available for the state governments on request.

The railways had converted its idle coaches into isolation coaches to treat patients with mild symptoms. These coaches can be used where states have “exhausted the facilities” and demand an alternative arrangement, the railways said.

The railways prepared 5,231 railway coaches in 2020. Last year, the Railways had deployed 813 coaches with 12,472 beds in July -- New Delhi (503), Uttar Pradesh (270) and Bihar (40).

However, due to lack of demand, the railways subsequently reconverted more than 55% of the Covid-19 coaches into normal ones and mostly utilised on Shramik Special trains.