Union railway minister Piyush Goyal has applauded the Indian Railways for their dedication and ensuring an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“While the world came to a standstill, Railwaymen never took a day off and worked even harder by putting their lives at risk to keep the wheels of the economy moving,” Goyal said in a letter to the Indian Railway authorities.
“We have been able to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential goods, be it coal for power plants, fertilizer for farmers and food grains for the consumers across the country.
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“With your sheer willpower and resilience, we turned this crisis into an opportunity,” he said.
4,621 Shramik Specials were run to unite families and carry more than 63 lakh stranded citizens and Kisan Rail services connected ‘the farmers directly with bigger markets.
Despite limitations during the lockdown, 370 major safety and infrastructure works were completed.
The Indian Railways had loaded 1,233 million tonnes of originating freight, which is the best ever for any year.
The Indian Railways also carried electrification of 6,015kms of railway track in India in the last financial year.