Bengal government requests railway board to resume local train, metro services

The West Bengal government has requested the railway board on Friday to resume metro and local train services in the state in a limited manner, maintaining physical distancing among passengers.

State home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay sent a letter to the ministry late on Friday intimating the state government’s views.

“This is to bring to your notice that state government is of the view that metro and local train services can be resumed in Bengal in a limited manner maintaining the norms of physical distancing and health hygiene protocols,” Bandyopadhyay wrote in the letter.

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On Wednesday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said that the state has no issues if local train and metro rail services are resumed. She even allowed resumption of flight services from six cities to Kolkata that had been suspended since July 6.

“From September 1, flight services to Kolkata from the six cities may resume and can operate on three days,” Banerjee said after a cabinet meeting.

Flights to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad were stopped from July 6 as the state government stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The dates were extended multiple times.

The centre is likely to allow the resumption of metro services from September when the fourth phase of unlocking economic activities will begin.