At over 70,000 in a week, Gujarat sends home most migrant workers in special trains

More than 70,000 migrants stranded in Gujarat have been sent home on 65 Shramik Special' trains in the last seven days, making it the largest movement of workers from any state on the special services being run during the nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus.

According to official data accessed by PTI, the state also has 12 more such services planned whereby it will transport more than 13,000 more workers.

More than 21,000 migrants from Maharashtra have been able to return home in 21 such trains and around 5,000 more are likely to be transported in four such services which are in the pipeline.

Nineteen trains carrying more than around 19,000 workers have left Rajasthan while 18 trains carrying a similar number have left Telangana in the last seven days.

Officials said that the 24-coach trains carry 54 passengers (72 in normal times) in each coach and have a capacity of 1,200.

The guidelines issued by the railways on the Shramik Special' trains said that the responsibility for