Suburban trains only for frontline, essential workers

Suburban trains only for frontline, essential workers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.05.2021

As lockdown restrictions have been made stringent, Southern Railway has decided not to allow the general public, including students, to travel by suburban trains till May 20. Frontline workers and those employed in essential services sector are allowed to board the trains after showing their identity cards. The move will affect several people who work in nonessential sectors and depend on suburban trains to reach their workplaces in Chennai.

The railways has decided to restrict the category of people who can use the trains as the state government has announced that buses and trains should be run with 50% of occupancy.

A statement from the railways said railway staff, authorized essential services staff such as health, law and order, sanitation workers, municipal corporation workers, staff of all Centre, state government departments and PSUs, staff of the Madras high court judicial bodies and quasi-judicial bodies including lawyers, travel and logistics workers including those in Chennai Port Trust, Kamarajar Port Trust, staff of e-commerce companies on duty, print and electronic media, staff of nationalized, private and co-operative banks, and staff of private security agencies will be allowed to travel by the trains.

Students and staff of educational institutions, which remain closed, will not be permitted to take the trains.

Counters will be set up to sell reserved and unreserved tickets with 50% of staff, though people are encouraged to book tickets online.

K Baskar, former member, divisional rail users consultative committee, said this move puts jobs at risk. “People who work in private companies will lose their jobs if they cannot reach office. Those Many passengers who live in the suburbs use suburban trains to reach Arakkonam, MGR Central, Egmore and Tambaram stations to board mail/express trains. They should be allowed to use the services.”

BARE MINIMUM: All frontline workers, essential services staff will have to show their identity cards to board trains