Local trains to open for vaccinated people in Pune

Last week, Pune district collector Rajesh Deshmukh and even both the civic bodies (Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) had allowed people who have been vaccinated with both doses to commute by local trains, but the decision has not been implemented yet.

Soon, the Pune to Lonavla local trains are about to open for people who have got both doses of Covid vaccination. The Pune district administration and Pune railway division are working over the issue to resume the service.

Since the countrywide lockdown began on March 23 last year, all the train operations in the Pune railway division were stopped.

Last week, Pune district collector Rajesh Deshmukh and even both the civic bodies (Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) had allowed people who have been vaccinated with both doses to commute by local trains, but the decision has not been implemented yet.

On the other hand, railways have asked the local governing bodies to issue identity cards to people who have been vaccinated with both doses and accordingly railways will issue monthly season tickets for Pune-Lonavala local train passengers.

“As the state government has issued new guidelines about local train transportation, we have requested the Pune district administration to issue identity cards to passengers who have taken both the doses of Covid vaccination.

Also, 14 days should be completed after the second dose, and only then Railways will issue monthly tickets to such passengers,” said Pune divisional railway manager (DRM) Renu Sharma.

Since the countrywide lockdown began on March 23 last year, all the train operations in the Pune railway division were stopped.

While in October 2020, the local trains resumed back in Pune which is a major transport mode for working people between Pune and Lonavla stretch. But again in March 2021 the train operations for the common public were stopped due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Talking about the issue, Pune district collector Rajesh Deshmukh said, “Instructions have been given to both the civic bodies to issue necessary identity cards, and the local train service would start for common public too.”