Indian Railways continues to fight against Covid-19 in mission mode! During this ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Indian Railways’ Oxygen Express trains have saved the lives of several Covid patients across the country. On Saturday, the Western Railway zone ran its 100th Oxygen Express train carrying life-saving liquid medical oxygen (LMO) for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The zonal railway ran the trains between 25 April 2021 and 26 June 2021. According to a statement issued by Western Railways, till now, the zone ran 100 Oxygen Express trains, carrying around 8971.19 tonnes of LMO to nine states including Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi for the treatment of Covid positive patients.
According to the Western Railway zone, on 25 April 2021, the first Oxygen Express train was run as Ro-Ro service with loaded trucks of oxygen on BWT wagons from Hapa of Western Railways’ Rajkot Division to Kalamboli in the state of Maharashtra. On 26 June 2021, the 100th Oxygen Express train was run from Reliance Rail Terminal in Rajkot Division’s Kanalus for Guntur, located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, carrying 137.21 tonnes of oxygen in as many as eight oxygen tankers. According to the national transporter, these Oxygen Express trains are being run on a priority basis by providing through paths to enable them to reach their destination faster.
Through these Oxygen Express train services, Indian Railways provided liquid medical oxygen to patients across the country who were COVID-19 positive and were in dire need of the life saving gas, thereby saving the precious lives of many citizens. The Western Railway zone further added that the national transporter is committed to supply as much oxygen as possible to the states in need of LMO in the shortest possible time.