COVID-19: First 'Oxygen Express' leaves Mumbai for Vizag
The first-ever "Oxygen Express" carrying seven empty tankers on Monday left Mumbai for Visakhapatnam, where they will be loaded with liquid medical oxygen for transportation to Maharashtra, reports said. The move has come as several states face an acute shortage of medical oxygen amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country. Here are more details on this.
Train left Navi Mumbai around 8 pm yesterday
According to a release by the Central Railway, the Ro-Ro (Roll-On-Roll-Off) train left from the Kalamboli Goods Yard in Navi Mumbai for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant at 8:05 pm. At the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, the empty tankers will be loaded with liquid medical oxygen and then brought back to Maharashtra, which is running short of oxygen required to treat COVID-19 patients.
Ramp built to facilitate loading and unloading of tankers
The Central Railway's Mumbai Division built a ramp within 24 hours at the Kalamboli Goods Yard for the loading and unloading of oxygen tankers on and from the train. Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab was also reportedly present when the train left for Vizag. The train will move via Vasai Road, Jalgaon, Nagpur, and Raipur Junction to the Vizag Steel Plant.
'Railways running Oxygen Express to fight against COVID-19'
Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal also tweeted about the service last night. "Railways is running its first Oxygen Express in its fight against COVID-19. The Ro-Ro service with seven empty tankers departed from Kalamboli, Maharashtra for Vizag today. Oxygen Express will move via a green corridor for loading with Liquid Medical Oxygen," he wrote.
Here is the tweet by Goyal
Railways to run Oxygen Express over the next few days
The Railways is expected to run the Oxygen Express over the next few days to transport liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders across the country. The demand for medical oxygen has recently shot up in several states amid surging COVID-19 cases. India, the second worst-hit country in the outbreak, is reporting lakhs of new infections and hundreds of fatalities daily.
