Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 23: Demand for COVID isolation coaches (COVID care coach) created by the railway department to serve coronavirus patients is not on the expected level in Kerala and Karnataka.

In Kerala, as there has not been too much spurt in the number of coronavirus patients, the isolation coaches were cancelled at several places and added to special trains or Shramik trains. There are 20 isolation coaches in Mangaluru and a few days back they were used as coaches of Shramik Express trains to transport migrant workers. Over 16 such coaches have been sent back to the city for use in case of need. They are currently kept in the railway yard here.

Southern Railway officials say that the states can place demand for COVID care coaches whenever they need, and the coaches will be handed over to them. They confessed that so far there has not been a demand for them. The officials also said that these coaches were used to transport migrant workers as there was tremendous pressure. They revealed that at Thiruvananthapuram too, the coaches were attached to Shramik Express trains or other special trains.