Pindi railway station swamped

Passenger showing fever shifted to quarantine centre

RAWALPINDI: The hustle and bustle at the Rawalpindi Railway station returned on Tuesday as rail services resumed after a 56-day break. Hundreds of passengers with their luggage in tow arrived at the railway station.

Rail services had been suspended while cabins were repurposed as mobile quarantine centres in the wake of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Stalls on the platform also reopened and all staff of the railway station also rejoined after the suspension of their holidays.

On the first day of resumption of rail services, as many as nine trains were lined up to depart from the railyard including to Lahore and Karachi. The one departing for Karachi at 6am had 300 passengers while the two other trains, to Karachi and Lahore, had 400 passengers each.

Before boarding the train, passengers were screened for body temperatures.

When one passenger displayed a fever, he was shifted to the quarantine centre established at the station where he was examined by the doctors. The passenger, though, was allowed to board the train after he displayed no other symptoms of Covid-19.

Passengers have been directed to reach the station at least an hour before their train departs. Moreover, passengers have been told not to bring families to see them off to prevent an unnecessary rush at the station.

As per the standard operating procedures, the trains will only house passengers till 60 per cent of its capacity while the remaining 40 per cent of seats and berths will be left vacant.

Passengers found violating the precautionary guidelines will be fined Rs500 for the first violation, Rs1,000 for the second violation. On the third violation, they will be disembarked from the coach at the next station. It will be mandatory for all passengers, collies as well as staff to wear gloves and masks while the cleaning staff of trains has been equipped with protective suits.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2020.