As a large number of people have started taking train journeys amidst the pandemic, Indian Railways is providing Covid-19 testing facilities within some station premises. In a bid to minimize the transmission of novel coronavirus during train journeys, kiosks have been set up at various railway stations of the Thiruvananthapuram Division, which falls under the Southern Railway zone. Travelling passengers can do both RT-PCR as well as Rapid Antigen Tests for Covid-19 at these kiosks, the Railway Ministry stated. According to details shared by Southern Railways, four firms are setting up kiosks for Covid-19 tests at 13 different locations in 12 railway stations.

The Covid-19 testing Kiosks have already started functioning at Tiruvalla railway station and Chengannur railway station. The kiosk at Tiruvalla station started on 22 June 2021, while the Chengannur kiosk started on 26 June 2021. According to Southern Railways, MDC Scans was allotted with three locations at Trivandrum railway station (main entry and second entry) and Varkala station. Microlab was allotted with four locations at Kayankulam, Chengannur, Kollam and Tiruvalla railway stations. Neuberg Diagnostics was allotted at Aluva railway station while Sandor Medicaids was allotted at Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Alleppey and Thrissur railway stations, the zone said. So far, the total revenue realised for the nine locations for which payment was done is Rs 26,82,800, Southern Railways added.

Meanwhile, Southern Railways is also delivering LMO to various states for Covid treatment. As o­n 29 June 2021, Southern Railways has delivered 7063.31 MT of LMO in total for the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala through 89 Oxygen Expresses since 14 May 2021. On June 28, two loaded rakes arrived for Tamil Nadu. according to the zone, the 84th Oxygen Express loaded at Odisha’s Rourkela for Inland Container Depot, Tondiarpet with six containers carrying 111.01 MT LMO, arrived at the destination at 10:15 AM of June 28. While the 85th Oxygen Express loaded at Rourkela for Chennai Harbour with four containers carrying 74.04 MT LMO, arrived at the destination at 10:58 AM of June 28. The total LMO delivered for Tamil Nadu is 6549.59 MT. While, 513.72 MT of Oxygen has been delivered to Kerala, so far, in four oxygen Express trains.