Home Ministry asks states to coordinate with the railways to take stranded migrant workers back to their homes
Home Ministry asks states to coordinate with Railways to ferry stranded migrant workers to their homes
Union Home Secretary has asked states to proactively coordinate with the Railway Ministry to help ferry the stranded migrant workers to their native places. In a letter written to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has suggested measures to mitigate the distress of migrant workers in the country. He said, states should ensure arrangement of resting places with facilities of sanitation, food and health for all such workers who are on the move.
Mr. Bhalla also emphasized that District Authorities should guide such workers to the designated rest places, nearby bus terminal or railway stations by arranging transportation. He has asked states to prepare a list of the migrant workers with addresses and contact numbers, which can be used later for contact tracing.
Mr. Bhalla has urged NGOs to come forward in order to help the workers at the designated resting places. Home Secretary said that measures should be taken to encourage more migrant workers to stay at these places. He said, clarity should be made regarding departure of trains and buses to avoid any kind of unrest amongst the workers.
Mr. Bhalla made a special mention about extra care needed for meeting the specific requirements of women, children and elderly amongst the migrant workers.
Here’s the official directive and advisory from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Indian Railways regarding the movement of stranded migrant workers by special trains, articulated around 1 May 2025, during the COVID-19 lockdown:
Contents
🏠 Home Ministry Coordination with Railways
▪️ Order Issued on 1 May 2025
- The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the operation of Shramik Special trains from Labour Day (1 May 2020) to transport migrant workers, students, tourists, and other stranded persons across states.
- Trains were scheduled on request of respective state governments, facilitating point-to-point travel only, under strict health and administrative protocols.
👥 Coordination Mechanism
- Nodal officers were designated by both the Railways and state/UT governments to coordinate logistics—including passenger lists, train schedules, and security arrangements.
- Sending states were responsible for screening passengers and transporting them in batches by sanitized buses to departure stations.
- Receiving states handled arrival protocols: health screening, possible quarantine, and onward travel arrangements.
🧪 Health Safety & Travel Norms
- Only asymptomatic individuals allowed travel; thermal checks, mask mandates, and social distancing strictly enforced.
- Sending states provided meals and drinking water at boarding; railways provided meals during travel on longer routes.
🚂 Service Features
- Service launched with six initial Shramik trains on 1 May 2020, with up to 500 trains planned in the following weeks upon receipt of state requests.
- Within two weeks, plans included up to 500 Shramik trains across the country, prioritizing routes to migrant-heavy states such as UP, Bihar, and Odisha.
- Required minimum occupancy (90%) for a train to run, and only trains covering distances over 500 km were authorized initially.
📝 Summary Table
| Guideline Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorization | Ministry of Home Affairs directed operations; listed states coordinated |
| Nodal Officer Appointment | From both MoR and the respective state governments |
| Health Protocols | Screening, masks, social distancing, meals provided |
| Passenger Movement | State-transported batches to point-of-departure; receiving state manages arrival |
| Operational Criteria | Train runs only if ≥90% occupied, covering >500 km |
| Booking | State authorities managed lists; no individual IRCTC passenger booking |
🧭 Why This Was Essential
- The policy created a structured and safe mechanism for interstate transport of stranded workers during crisis.
- Clear roles and coordination—between nodal officers—allowed real-time handling of logistics and compliance with public health norms.
- Similar frameworks were not repeated in 2025, as most travel had normalized and migrants were no longer stranded at scale due to COVID lockdowns.
Would you like:
- A list of special Shramik train routes, numbers, and scheduling data?
- Coordination framework specifics for a particular state or zone, such as Odisha or West Bengal?
- Insights into fare policy, service eligibility, or cancellation rules for those stranded-run services?
I’d be happy to assist you with deeper operational or procedural details!