COVID-19: Railways converts 2,500 coaches into isolation wards

The Indian Railways has converted 2,500 coaches into isolation wards, achieving almost half of its target of making 5,000 such coaches, as part of government's efforts to combat coronavirus.

New Delhi: In order to supplement the national efforts in combating coronavirus pandemic, Indian Railways has prepared 2,500 isolation coaches by achieving half of its initial target in such a short span of time.

Indian Railways has given an initial target to the Zonal Railways to prepare 5,000 isolation coaches to which half of them have already been converted by April 6.

As per the figures given by Railway Ministry, an average 375 coaches are being converted into isolation coaches on a daily basis. The work is being carried out at 133 locations in the country.

Along with this, the Railway ministry also informed that 40,000 isolation beds are ready till date, for contingency.

The official statement stated, "In times of lockdown, when manpower resources are limited and have to be rationalised, different zones of Railways have almost done an impossible task of so many conversions in such a small span of time. With the conversion of around 2,500 coaches, 40,000 isolation beds are now ready for contingency."

The statement also mentioned that these isolation coaches are being prepared only as a contingency and to supplement the efforts of Ministry of Health in fighting against COVID-19.