Reaching an alarming scale the corona pandemic seems to have forced an undeclared lockdown in the train services of Sealdah and Howrah Division of Bengal.
Such has been the spread of infection that about 125 trains including sub-urban trains have been cancelled both in Sealdah and Howrah division, sources said.
While in Howrah Division 16 passenger trains and 40 local trains have been cancelled, in Sealdah Division 60 local trains have cancelled, a senior Eastern Railway official said adding about 500 staff including motorman, guard and driver had been infected in Howrah Division the number for Sealdah is about 200. Sealdah is one of the busiest railway junctions in Asia ferrying lakhs of daily commuters.
“If this situation aggravates further which in any case is very much possible then the Railway authorities will have to suspend most of the services for want of staff,” a senior official said adding how the Railways have started imposing fine on the negligent commuters not wearing masks.