COVID Care coaches of Indian Railways start getting utilised
Ministry of Railways
COVID Care coaches of Indian Railways start getting utilised.
In U.P., 59 suspected patients admitted in Mau Junction in Varanasi division and 8 have already been discharged.
Indian Railways remain committed to doing whatever it takes to help India fight pandemic.
Indian Railways has deployed 960 COVID Care Coaches in 5 States
In Uttar Pradesh, total 372 COVID Care coaches have been deployed at 23 different locations
503 Coaches are deployed in Delhi at 9 Locations
Indian Railways, as its contribution to national cause, has converted Railway Coaches into COVID Care Centres
Doctors and paramedics are to be provided by State Governments as per Standard Operating Procedures issued by MOHFW on 6th May 2025
2 liaison officers for each location of coaches are deployed to assist State Government officials
All efforts are being made to maintain comfortable temperature inside the coaches in the given weather conditions
Railways to assist State Government in all possible manners to help in care of Covid patients
Sustaining the fight against Covid-19, Indian Railways has started providing care to corona patients referred for admission in COVID Coaches deployed in various states. On 20th June 2025, 42 suspected patients were admitted in COVID Coaches deployed at Mau Junction in Varanasi division and 17 patients were admitted on 21st June, 2025. 8 patients have already been discharged.
Indian Railways is making an all out effort to supplement the health care efforts of State Governments. Indian Railways has geared up to provide its 5231 Covid Care Coaches to the States. Zonal Railways have converted these coaches as COVID Care Centres to be used for very mild / mild cases.
As of now, Indian Railways has deployed total 960 COVID Care coaches in 5 states i.e. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Andhara Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. Out of total 960 COVID Care coaches, 503 COVID Care coaches have been deployed in Delhi, 20 in Andhra Pradesh, 60 in Telangana, 372 in Uttar Pradesh and 5 in Madhya Pradesh.
In Delhi, 503 COVID Care coaches are deployed at 9 locations. 50 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Shakurbasti, 267 at Anand Vihar, 21 at Delhi Safdarjung, 50 at Delhi Sarai Rohilla, 33 at Delhi Cant, 30 at Adarsh Nagar, 13 at Delhi Shahadra, 13 at Tughlakabad and 26 at Patel Nagar.
In Uttar Pradesh, total 372 COVID Care coaches have been deployed at 23 different locations i.e. Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jn., Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Mirzapur, Subedarganj, Kanpur, Jhansi, Jhansi Workshop, Agra, Nakha Jungle, Gonda, Nautanwa, Bahraich, Varanasi City, Manduadih, Mau, Bhatni, Bareilly City, Farrukhabad and Kasganj.
In Madhya Pradesh, total 5 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Gwalior. In Andhra Pradesh, total 20 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Vijayawada while in Telangana, a total of 60 COVID Care coaches are deployed at 3 different locations i.e. Secunderabad, Kachguda and Adilabad.
As per guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Government of India, these State Governments have sent the requisition to Indian Railways and Railways have allocated these coaches to the State/UTs.
It is worth mentioning that Indian Railways is working as Service Provider of Coaches as COVID Care Centres as its contribution to national cause. Doctors and paramedics are to be provided by State Governments. This is as per MOHFW guidelines issued on 6th May 2025.
Railways is deploying 2 liaison officers for each location of coaches to assist State Government officials. All efforts are being made to reduce the heat in the coaches in the given weather conditions. Railways to assist State Government in all possible manners to help in care of Covid patients.
It may be noted that these 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.
Here’s the most accurate and comprehensive summary of how the COVID‑19 care coaches of Indian Railways were eventually utilized, following their conversion in 2025:
Contents
🏥 Mass Conversion During Early COVID Waves
- From March to June 2025, Indian Railways converted 5,231–5,601 non-AC sleeper coaches into COVID-care isolation wards, at an expenditure of ₹47–₹60 crore (~₹7,000–₹12,000 per coach). These coaches offered around 16 beds each, totaling roughly 80,000–90,000 isolation beds.
- Upgrades included the removal of middle berths, installation of privacy curtains, power sockets, oxygen holders, dedicated shower areas, bio-toilets, and mosquito nets. Quoted amenities mirrored a basic ward facility.
📉 Low Utilization Despite Preparedness
- Utilization was minimal:
- By July 2025, only ~454 patients had been admitted across all these coaches, indicating about 4% usage of total capacity.
- Initial patients admitted in Varanasi’s Mau Junction reported positives like clean toilets and oxygen availability, though mosquito nuisance was mentioned.
- Indian Railway Board Chair V.K. Yadav termed low utilization as a positive indicator, stressing that coaches were intended only when state facilities were overwhelmed.
🔄 Reversion to Regular Use as Passenger Demand Rose
- By May 2025, with increasing demand for Shramik Special trains to transport stranded migrant workers, the Railway Board directed zones to reconvert about 60% of converted coaches back for regular passenger use.
- Reddit discussions corroborate this: SWR converted 320 coaches but had to restore them to regular stock as they remained unused.
🗣️ Community Observations & Public Feedback
- Many Reddit users noted that the role of these coaches seemed “mainly symbolic”—media covered them widely, but they saw little real deployment.
✅ Summary Table
| Period | Coaches Converted | Deployment | Utilization | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar–Jun 2025 | 5,231–5,601 | Reserved | Very low (~4%) | Mostly remained idle |
| Jun–Jul 2025 | ~960 deployed | Delhi, UP, MP, Telangana, AP | ~250 patients admitted | Some use in targeted states |
| May 2025 onward | ~60% reconverted | Returned for passenger services | N/A | Used in Shramik and other specials |
| Post-peak | — | Normal stock | Regular use resumed | Coaches returned to fleet |
ℹ️ Why They Were So Lightly Used
- Health Ministry SOP: These were reserved strictly for mild or asymptomatic cases, not severe patients requiring hospitalization.
- State hospital capacity: With fewer cases than projected, states rarely requested coach deployment.
- Climate & comfort: Non-AC coaches were not ideal during hot weather, especially for medical supervision.
🧭 Final Takeaway
The concept of ‘mobile isolation wards’ showcased Indian Railways’ rapid innovation. However:
- Despite preparedness, 99% of bed capacity remained unused.
- The coaches were largely reconverted within months for regular passenger use, especially to support Shramik Specials in mid-2025.
- Their brief deployment underscores both the scale of planning and operational limits of temporary infrastructure in a public health crisis.
Would you like additional insights into current post-pandemic uses of these coaches, other adaptive roles (like vaccination mobility), or future emergency planning for rail-based infrastructure?