- The Indian Railways will run special trains to move essential items and soften the effect of nation-wide lock down to contain the COVID-19 pandemic
- These parcel trains are also expected to benefit the e Commerce Companies to deliver ordered goods to the customers on time
- The parcel trains will help quickly transport medicines, equipment, masks, and food items
- A total of 8 Parcel Special Trains are going to be started soon
- More parcel specials are expected to ply on 20 routes
The Indian Railways will operate special Parcel Trains to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities. To transform this dream into reality the Railway employees deployed at various stations, sheds, and control offices will work round the clock to ensure smooth movement of fast moving items and ensure that India lives.
Already 34648 wagons have been deployed to carry essential supplies to keep the supply chains functional. Out of these Indian Railways contributed 23682 wagons and 425 rakes to keep the supply chains operational. As a result a total number of 1.25 lac wagons have been deployed to carry essential commodities over the past week or so.
Out of total 23682, some 20488 wagons carried coal, 1492 wagons carried petroleum products, 1576 wagons carried food grains, 42 wagons transported fruit and vegetables and a similar number of wagons were used to carry sugar and salt (each).
Transportation of essential medical supplies, equipment, and food in the wake of COVID 19 is a growing need to soften the blow of the lock-down. Indian Railways will also be running special parcel vans for transportation of goods required by the customers, e-commerce companies, and State governments.
This has been made possible after the Home Ministry approved movement of goods all over the country during lock down.
- Pic Credit Lalam / Indian Railways Fan Club
This move is expected to help rapidly transport goods and reinforce the effectiveness of supply chains. This will help bolster smooth movement of essential items like Dairy Products, Medical Equipment, Medicines, Groceries, Edible oils and other necessary items bulk transportation of essential goods like food grains, edible oil, salt, sugar, coal, cement, milk, vegetables & fruits etc, there are various items that need to be delivered in comparatively smaller quantities. Railways after the airlines are the fastest mode for interstate transportation of fast-moving goods and commodities.
This will be in addition to movement of essential commodities by freight trains all over the country. Different Zones of Indian Railways are working out their own plans for running these Parcel Trains. They are reaching out prospective clients through various modes of communication including advertisements.
It may be noted that MHA has lifted restrictions on movement of goods to facilitate easy loading and unloading at the various locations across the nation. This has removed ground level discretions in permissions regarding loading and unloading of goods of various kinds at Terminals spread across India.Special efforts are being made by Indian Railways to ferry these goods to maintain the supply chain in the lock down period.
A total of 8 Parcel specials Trains have been started in addition many others being planned on 20 routes.
The Northern Railway shall run the Parcel Special Trains on the following routes:
- New Delhi – Guwahati
- New Delhi – Mumbai Central
- New Delhi – Kalyan
- New Delhi – Howrah
- Chandigarh – Jaipur
- Moga – Chhangsari Parcel Rcp.
Southern Railway will run Special Parcel Trains on the following routes:
- Coimbatore – Patel Nagar (Delhi region) – Coimbatore
- Coimbatore – Rajkot- Coimbatore
- Coimbatore – Jaipur- Coimbatore
- Salem – Batinda
In addition to the above Central Railway will run Parcel Special trains on the following routes
- Kaylan – New Delhi
- Nashik – New Delhi
- Kalyan – Santraghachi
- Kaylan – Guwahati.
South Eastern Railway Parcel Special Trains shall run on the following routes:
- Sankrail Goods Terminal Yard (SGTY)/Shalimar (SHM) to Kalyan (KYN)
- Sankrail Goods Terminal Yard (SGTY)/Shalimar (SHM) to New Guwahati Goods Shed (NGC)
- Sankrail Goods Terminal Yard (SGTY)/Shalimar (SHM) to Bengaluru (SBC)
Any Industrial house, company, group, organization, or interested individual can avail these services by registering themselves with the Railway Parcel Offices and Divisions. Apart from these Railways will be ready to consider any proposal for another Origin or Destination point for inquiry and registration. The person or organization seeking these services will have to pay parcel/freight charges as per extant rules.
