Railways preparing to produce hospital equipment

As a part of the government's plan to fight coronavirus, Indian Railways on Tuesday decided to produce hospital equipment and sanitisers in mass-scale, if required urgently.

Top railway board officials sensitised its production units, workshops to the possibility of producing some of the equipment to provide hospital for treating affected patients.

Railways decided to use the manufacturing facilities of its Production Units like Chittaranjan Loco Works, Chittaranjan, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, Diesel Loco Works, Varanasi, Rail Wheel Factory, Yelehanka to manufacture essential items which can be utilized for the treatment of affected people by this pandemic, said an official in the national transporter.

The Railway Board has issued necessary instructions to the General Managers of these production units to explore the feasibility of manufacture of items including hospital beds, medical trolleys for hospitals and quarantine facilities, stretchers, hospital footsteps, hospital bedside lockers, washbasins with stands, ventilators, PPEs like masks, sanitizers and water tanks.

Northern Railway's carriage and wagons department in Firozpur produced hand sanitisers at Rs 310 per litre and masks.

As per its plan to long haul battle against the virus, the national transporter is also planning to train its medical staff.

Though passenger trains were stopped, railways continue to operate freight trains to transport essential commodities.

Commodities like Food grains, Salt, Sugar, milk, edible oil, onions, fruits & vegetables, Petroleum products, Coal, Fertilizers etc. are being loaded at Railway terminals.

On March 24, total 891 rakes were loaded by Indian Railways with important commodities.

The railways has slashed the demurrage and wharfage rates for goods and parcel at half of the prescribed rates till March 31.

Validity of the rate policies pertaining to goods/container traffic has also been extended by one month April 30.
No haulage charge will be levied for movement of empty containers/empty flat wagons from March 24 to April 30.

Free time for loading/unloading of wagons and free time for removal of consignment from railway premises has been increased to double of the prescribed free time till March 31, the statement from railways said.