Railways deploys 204 isolation coaches in 4 states; 54 in Delhi to boost COVID-19 capacity

New Delhi, Jun 14 () The Railways has deployed 204 isolation coaches in four states, including 54 at Delhi's Shakurbasti railway station maintenance depot, officials said, adding that the number in the capital will be scaled up to 500 in the coming days.

Home Minister Amit Shah earlier Sunday had said the Centre would also provide 500 railway coaches to Delhi to overcome the shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

States like Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi requisitioned these coaches two months after the national transporter converted over 5,000 of its non-air conditioned coaches into COVID care centres.

Seventy coaches have been deployed in Uttar Pradesh -- 10 each in Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Mirzapur and Jhansi.

Fifty-four have been deployed at Shakurbasti maintenance depot in Delhi.

Sixty coaches have been deployed in Telangana -- 20 each in Secunderabad, Kachguda and Adilabad and 20 coaches in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada.

While Uttar Pradesh has asked for 240 such coaches for 24 locations, Telangana has requisitioned 60 for three places and Delhi has asked for 10 such coaches as COVID-19 cases in India surpassed the three lakh-mark. ASG ABH ABH