Metro services resume across the country after five months
New Delhi: Metro services resumed this morning in different cities across the country after a gap of more than five months. These cities are Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Durga Shankar Mishra said that passengers will have to follow preventive measures against COVID-19 by maintaining social distance and wearing face masks.
The Delhi Metro today resumed services after being closed for over five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The services resumed at 7 am with strict safety and social distancing measures in place. The first trains left from Samaypur Badli station to HUDA City Centre station and simultaneously from HUDA City Centre to Samaypur Badli.
A DMRC official said, no stations on the Yellow Line were closed as none is in proximity to any containment zone. On the station premises, passengers were permitted to enter the concourse only after temperature checks with thermal guns and sanitisation of hands. Hundreds of Delhi Metro ground staff and Central Industrial Security Force personnel wore face shields, masks and gloves as preventive measures. Trains will operate from Seven AM to 11 AM in the morning and Four PM to 8 pm in the evening in the first stage.
In Gujarat, the Ahmedabad Metro train service resumed its services today after remaining suspended for more than five months due to Covid19 pandemic.
In Chennai, the Metro rail services resumed this morning following the Unlock-4. The state industries minister MC Sampath inaugurated it at 7 am by travelling by the train in the ‘Airport to Washermanpet’ route.
In Telangana, commercial services of the Hyderabad Metro Rail on one of three corridors from Miyapur to L B Nagar began this morning . The Metro authorities informed that one train will be operated every five minutes . The services will be available till 12 noon and will resume again at 4 PM and continue till 9 PM. The services in another corridor will commence tomorrow and the third corridor will be resumed the day after. The Metro stations at the Containment zones will remain closed.
Kochi Metro has resumed operations today after 168 days of shut down in the wake of Covid-19. The 25.16 Kilo Meter long service are being conducted after adhering to Covid protocols for the safe journey of commuters. Passengers are being screened using an infrared thermometer by the security staff at the stations. Foot pedal operated sanitizers are placed at all the stations for the convenience of commuters. And thermal cameras will be ensured at busy stations and commuters with Covid like symptoms would not be allowed and asked to return. Social distancing will be monitored through CCTV.
Today and tomorrow the services are available in two slots, 7 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 8 PM. From Wednesday onwards the services will be run in three time slots, 7 am to 12 PM, 12 PM to 2 PM and 2 PM to 9 PM
