Oxygen Express carrying 70 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen to reach Delhi by tomorrow: Railways

Amid the critical shortage of oxygen in Delhi hospitals due to the COVID crisis, Indian Railways has provided some respite as Oxygen Express carrying 70 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) is likely to reach the national capital by Monday, said Railways official.

The railway is running 'Oxygen Express' to provide oxygen to needy states. Railway Board Chairman Suneet Sharma said that the Railways has already transported 150 tonnes of oxygen and around 150 tonnes more will be transported by Sunday night to the various parts of the country.

Briefing mediapersons here, Sharma said, "Oxygen Express carrying four tankers (around 70 metric tonnes of LMO) will depart tonight for Delhi Cantt from Jindal Steel Works, Raigarh. Four tankers are being loaded at Jindal Plant in Raigarh for the national capital. The plan is ready to get oxygen from Angul, Raigarh, Kalingnagar and Rourkela."

He further said, "The Railways is picking up this challenge of movement of the life-saving oxygen from the steel plants and the other areas from where it is getting loaded to the states which are in need."

He also informed that five tankers have reached Lucknow. These tankers will carry approximate 150 MTs of oxygen, much needed for Uttar Pradesh. The Railways are in touch with the governments of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in this regard.

Railways has already joined the fight against corona with its COVID care coaches. Currently, 4,176 coaches are available for the isolation of COVID patients.

( With inputs from ANI )