Buzz back at India’s busiest station after nearly 2 months
On Tuesday, the Howrah station, built in 1854 and having 24 platforms, flagged off its first passenger train since March 22, the day the government prohibited the service as part of a strategy to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Arunava Roy, a 57-year-old railway official, did not remember when he last carried his own food and blanket during a train journey. Tuesday was different.
Wearing a pair of gloves, a mask and a face shield, Roy, the deputy superintendent of a special train leaving Howrah, sounded a bit anxious while he also pointed out that he had to respond to the call of duty.
“I am a bit apprehensive as I will be travelling with more than a thousand passengers. But this is my duty and I am happy that I am among the few officials boarding one of the first special passenger trains that started during the lockdown,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Howrah station, built in 1854 and having 24 platforms, flagged off its first passenger train since March 22, the day the government prohibited the service as part of a strategy to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The train left Howrah at 5:05pm with full capacity — 1,028 passengers were on board — and is scheduled to reach New Delhi around 10 am on Wednesday..
The station — India’s oldest and busiest — slowly began coming back to life around 2pm on Tuesday. Federal guidelines have asked passengers to reach stations at least 90 minutes prior to the journey for thermal screening and security clearance.
The station complex, which usually registers an average footfall of one million passengers every day, fell silent within minutes of the train leaving for its destination. No stalls or booths on platforms were open, and vending activity was not permitted.
Among the passengers was 80-year-old PB Verma, who boarded the train with his wife, 75-year-old Prema Verma.
“We came from Allahabad to stay with our son during Holi. We were supposed to return on April 24, but we got stuck. Our house in Allahabad is lying vacant as the tenant has left for his home. Today, I am relieved, but at the same time apprehensive that Covid-19 is spreading fast...I have to travel with other passengers,” said Verma.
The train will stop at Asansol, Dhanbad, Parasnath, Gaya, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction (Mughal Sarai), Prayagraj (Allahabad) and Kanpur stations.
Instead of the usual chaotic scenes and the never-ending rush of passengers, commuters could be seen standing in queues, wearing masks. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the police could be seen constantly reminding people to maintain social distancing.
“Only those who had confirmed tickets were allowed. First, we were screened with thermal guns. If anyone had above-normal temperature, he was checked by doctors. Face masks were made mandatory and every passenger had to use hand sanitiser before boarding the train,” said Bunty Singh, a passenger who was heading for Mughal Sarai.
The constant buzz of announcements about arrival and departure of trains was missing. Instead, only four messages were repeated constantly: that the special train will leave from platform number 9; social distancing must be maintained; tickets have to be shown to officials; and the Arogya Setu app should be downloaded.
“I have never seen Howrah station like this before. Usually, 455 local trains and around 130 mail and express trains arrive and depart every day. Out of this, around eight leave for Delhi. But now we have only one train leaving for Delhi. Today, another train (a Shramik Special that is ferrying migrant workers and others stuck due to the lockdown ) came from Vellore with around 1,100 stranded citizens who had gone there for treatment,” said I Khan, divisional railway manager of Howrah.
The last train to have arrived at Howrah before the 51-day interruption was the 12937 Garbha Express on March 23. It left Gandhidham junction in Gujarat on March 21.
On Tuesday, there were people who tried to enter the station in the hope of boarding the train, but were turned back since authorities are allowing only those with confirmed tickets.
“I needed to go back to Gaya. My employer and landlord have dumped me. I have no money left. I came to the station when I heard that a train was leaving, but then I came to know that only those who had confirmed tickets can board,” said Deepak Kumar Singh, who came to Howrah with his pregnant wife and two children.
