Local Trains might open soon for general people.

Local services can be started for the general public with certain terms and conditions. However, if the state government gives permission for this, we will start the local train immediately, the railway administration has clarified. A press conference was held on Thursday by Central Railway. Shalabh Goyal, Divisional Manager, Central Railway, spoke on various topics at the press conference. Goyal is the Divisional Manager, Mumbai Division, Central Railway.

Passengers demand to start local. State government permission is required to start local transport. Local is currently only for emergency service personnel in the wake of the corona infection. However, if the state government demands, we will start the local immediately, explained Goyal.

Also, if the state government gives the green light, we will start local. However, the state government should ask the Ministry of Railways to start local. That demand was accepted by the Ministry of Railways and if we are informed, the local can start immediately, he added.

“We are fully prepared to start the locomotive immediately if the state government ever demands it,” he said. Asked how the rules of social distance would be followed if the local started, he said, “Marking has been done for the passengers to stand at the station as it is now.” Similarly, passengers will be appealed to stand by marking all the stations. We will also appeal to keep social distance in the local with the help of media.

After the lockdown, local trains were started on June 15 for the essential service personnel. At present, only a limited number of employees working in the essential services like police, nurses, doctors, municipal cleaners and other employees, journalists can travel by local train. Ordinary passengers are not yet allowed to travel by local.