Bengal government issues SOP for resumption of local train services

The state government announced the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the resumption of local train services in West Bengal. According to the SOP, it has been made mandatory for every passenger to drive trains with 50 percent capacity along with applying masks.

The government has shared the responsibility between the authorities and the Railways. The Home and Hill Affairs Department released SOP. Railways will ensure adequate number of trains as per requirement. 

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Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that 696 suburban services will be run by the railways in West Bengal from Wednesday (November 11). According to the SOP, the railways will make an adequate number of trains available as per the requirement, and sanitise coaches daily, and as and when deemed desirable.

Entry and exit points in the trains will be earmarked to facilitate passengers’ movement. Some existing entry and exit points may need to be blocked, according to the government.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) will assist the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the state police in access control and crowd control.
The railways will ensure that washrooms are sanitised regularly, and sufficient amounts of soap and hand sanitisers are available at stations. Regular cleaning and sanitisation of platforms will also be ensured by the railways. 

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The government said train time tables and health protocols should be widely publicized, and the authorities should ensure physical-distancing norms and new seating arrangements are properly followed.

Other protective standards will be fixed along with thermal checking, so that asymptomatic persons do not enter station premises.

• SOP
• state government
• railways
• local train
• west bengal