Coronavirus | Indian Railways offer sops for ‘Oxygen Express’

Tamil Nadu currently doesn’t figure in the routes planned

With the demand for liquid oxygen on the rise from major hospitals across the country, the Indian Railways has decided to waive certain charges on ‘Oxygen Express’ trains. Though sources said the Centre had decided to divert 80 MT of liquid oxygen from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the State does not figure in the list of originating points in the routes mapped for operating the special trains. The Ministry of Railways has exempted the ‘Oxygen Express’ trains transporting liquid medical oxygen in cryogenic tankers from the levy of ‘Over-Dimensional Consignment’ charges as a special case. Replying to a query flagged by the Container Corporation of India, the Railways waived the ‘Busy Season Charge’ and ‘Development Charge’ levies. It was also decided not to levy ‘Terminal Access Charges’ for the rakes at the container Rail Terminal.