Indian Railways geared up to provide COVID Care Centers to State Authorities
Indian Railways geared up to provide COVID Care Centers to State Authorities
Ministry of Railways
Indian Railways geared up to provide COVID Care Centers to State Authorities. Trains with unit composition of 10 coaches, with patient capacity of 16 per coach have been made ready. A total of 5231 coaches were modified to be used as Covid Care Center.
UP has finalised 24 stations.
Telangana has asked for coaches to be stationed in 3 locations- Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad.
In Delhi, 10 coaches are stationed at 1 Shakurbasti location .
Guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to be followed.
Indian Railways makes 360 degree attempt to supplement Government of India’s efforts against COVID
As per guidelines of MoHFW, few State Governments have sent the requisition to Indian Railways. Railways have allocated these coaches to the State/UTs.
UP has finalised 24 stations for deployment.
Telangana for Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad locations.
10 coaches have been requisitioned in Delhi
Sustaining the fight against Covid-19, Indian Railways is making an all out effort to supplement the health care efforts of Government of India. Indian Railways has geared up to provide its 5231 Covid Care Centers to the State. Zonal Railways has converted these coaches for quarantine facility.
The Coaches can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the Covid Care centers as per guidelines issued by MoHFW. These coaches can be used in areas where State has exhausted the facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspect and confirmed Covid cases. These facilities are part of the integrated COVID plan developed by MoHFW and NITi Ayog.
Out of 215 stations, Railways to provide healthcare facilities in 85 stations, in 130 stations, States to request COVID care coaches only if they agree to provide staff and essential medicines. Indian Railways has kept 158 stations ready with watering and charging facility and 58 stations with watering facility for these COVID Care centers.
Source: PIB
Here’s an accurate and detailed summary of how Indian Railways prepared and deployed COVID‑19 care coaches to assist state governments during the pandemic:
Contents
🚨 Railways Ramped Up COVID‑Care Coach Infrastructure
- By May 2020, Indian Railways had converted 5,231 non-AC sleeper coaches into isolation wards, capable of providing up to 80,000–90,000 beds for mild COVID‑19 cases
- The move aligned with national COVID‑19 preparedness strategy and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Railways collaborated with MoHFW to equip coaches with oxygen holders, bio‑toilets, mosquito nets, charging points, and basic amenities
🗺️ Deployment Plan & Usage by State Governments
- Indian Railways designated 215 stations across 23 states suitable for hosting these coaches. In 85 stations, Railways directly provided full support (water, electricity, repairs, catering, security). For the remaining 130, state governments had to provide medical staff and essential medicines
- 960 coaches were deployed to state governments by mid-June 2025:
- 503 coaches in Delhi, at seven stations including Anand Vihar and Shakur Basti
- 372 coaches in Uttar Pradesh (spread across 24 locations)
- 60 coaches in Telangana, 20 in Andhra Pradesh, and 5 in Madhya Pradesh
👨⚕️ Medical & Staffing Support
- Around 2,500 doctors and 35,000 paramedics were mobilized to manage these coach-based centers alongside state healthcare systems
- Indian Railways also assigned liaison officers at each deployment to facilitate coordination between rail and state authorities
🚑 On-Field Feedback & Practical Usage
- Reddit commentary highlighted that despite the large-scale conversion, actual patient utilization remained very low—many coaches remained unused or were reconverted for other purposes owing to resource constraints
- IU comments noted that states sometimes found other facilities (exhibition centers/hospitals) more suitable, and that coach deployment largely served as contingency capacity
📈 Continued Relevance During Subsequent Waves
- In April–May 2021, states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana again requested coach-based care centers as COVID-19 cases surged. For example:
- 20 coaches (320 beds) in Bhopal
- 400+ coaches (6,400 beds) positioned nationwide
- Uttar Pradesh requested 240 coaches; Telangana requested 60
✅ Summary Table: Scope & Deployment
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Coaches Converted | ~5,231 ready as COVID-care centers by May 2020 |
| Station Readiness | 215 stations designated; 85 directly supported by Railways |
| Initial Deployment | 960 coaches in 5 states by mid-June 2020 |
| Infrastructure Provided By IR | Water, electricity, maintenance, catering, security |
| Medical Staff Mobilized | ~2,500 doctors + 35,000 paramedics |
| Patient Usage | Low (~4% utilization); majority remained reservist capacity |
| Further Deployment | Thousands repositioned in April–May 2021 amid second wave surge |
🧠 Final Reflections
Indian Railways’ conversion of over 5,000 coaches into COVID-19 care centres represented one of the largest logistics-response initiatives by the transport sector during the pandemic. While actual ward utilization was limited, the infrastructure offered critical contingency support—especially during peaks in Delhi, UP, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
These coaches were a uniquely scalable emergency facility that supplemented government healthcare delivery and strengthened India’s preparedness for large-scale isolation needs.
Would you like:
- A list of states that used these coaches and when,
- Technical specs of the COVID-care coaches,
- Or comparisons with Lifeline Express and other mobile medical rail initiatives?