NEW DELHI: The railways on Friday announced cancellation of 3,700 passenger and long-distance mail/express trains on Sunday to coincide with the ‘janata curfew’, in a step which triggered speculation as to whether country was being readied for a lockdown that may have to be enforced if there is a surge in the cases of coronavirus.
According to the railway order, “No passenger or express train will originate from any railway station in the country between Saturday/Sunday midnight to 10pm on Sunday.”
In the order issued on Friday evening, the Railway Board said suburban rail services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Secunderabad shall be reduced to bare minimum level only to cater to essential travel. Each zone has been delegated the power to decide on the number of trains they want to allow on Sunday.
PM Narendra Modi had on Thursday appealed people to implement a “janata curfew” on Sunday by confining themselves to their homes for 14 hours, beginning 7am. Although the PM suggested that it was up to people to observe the “curfew” voluntarily, the decisio
