COVID 19 impact: India Railways cancels 155 trains, loss of INR 450 crore in a week

Coronavirus has not only hit the aviation industry but is also impacting the Indian Railways. The railways has lost nearly INR 450 crores in a week due to cancellations of trains. The COVID-19 crisis has hit the Indian Railways, which has cancelled 155 trains to contain the virus.

According to a senior railway official, the decision to cancel trains was taken because of the increasing number of COVID-19 positive patients in India, which has nearly reached 166 (as per current data). The country has recorded 15 new positive cases which is not a good sign.He informed the media that it is a precautionary measure to contain COVID-19. He also said that every passenger (having reservations) in any of the cancelled trains is being informed about the decision individually. The official further mentioned that "no cancellation fee" is being charged for these trains and hundred percent amount will be refunded to passengers.
After airlines, railways is the second to suffer due to COVID-19. As per official data, the railways witnessed a dip of 6.9 million passengers (in reserved category) compared to the same period last year in 2019. And nearly 45% decline is over the last seven days.

Indian Railways announced the cancellations of 85 trains across the country on major routes. This was a bold move taken by the railways to cut down on crowds and traffic. Again, 99 trains were cancelled on Wednesday because of low occupancy and today (on Thursday), the number of cancelled trains has gone up to 155.
The railways is also facing loss because a number of people have cancelled their journeys amid the virus outbreak. According to a statement issued by the railway ministry, as compared to last year, the railways has experienced 80% hike in cancellation this year.