First Oxygen Express reaches Karnataka

Bengaluru: The first Oxygen Express to Karnataka, carrying 120 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen reached the city on Tuesday.

According to South Western Railway, the oxygen express carrying six cryogenic containers with medical oxygen weighing 120 tonnes departed from Jharkhand on Monday and arrived at the Inland Container Depot in Whitefield here this morning.

”A signal-free ‘Green Corridor’ was created by the Railways to enable swift transport of the Oxygen Express…,” Chief Public Relations Officer of South Western Railway, Aneesh Hegde told PTI.

”The Railways has taken a lot of care in smooth transportation of the oxygen throughout the country by ensuring a green corridor, efficient maintenance of assets and several concessions such as exemption of development surcharge, busy season surcharge, Terminal Access Charge etc for Oxygen container transport,” he said.

More than 4,700 MT oxygen has been delivered through Oxygen Express for COVID patients across the country so far, the official noted.

In view of the alarming rise in coronavirus cases in Karnataka, which had been reporting 50,000 infections daily, the oxygen demand grew manifold.

Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in a tweet said, ”In order to provide relief to COVID-19 patients, #OxygenExpress from Tatanagar has reached Bengaluru via Green corridor, with 6 containers of medical oxygen.