Railways start Shramik Special Trains – Labor Special Trains to move migrant workers
Railways start Shramik Special Trains – Labor Special Trains to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to lock down
Railways start Shramik Special Trains to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to lock down.
These special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments
As per the guideline issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, it has been decided to run “Shramik Special” trains from “Labour Day” today, to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to lock down.
These special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons. The Railways and State Governments shall appoint senior officials as Nodal Officers for coordination and smooth operation of these “Shramik Specials”.
The passengers have to be screened by the sending states and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to travel. Sending State Governments will have to bring these persons in batches that can be accommodated in the train to the designated Railway Station in sanitized buses following social distancing norms and other precautions. It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear face cover. Meals and drinking water would be provided to the passengers by the sending states at the originating station.
The Railways will endeavour to ensure social distancing norms and hygiene with the cooperation of passengers. On longer routes, the Railways will provide a meal enroute during the journey.
On arrival at the destination, passengers will be received by the State Government, who would make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine if necessary and further travel from the Railway Station.
At this point of time of crisis faced by the nation, all officers and staff of the Indian Railways are committed to serve our fellow Indians and seeks everyone’s support and cooperation.
Here’s the official and verified update on the launch of Shramik Special (Labour Special) Trains by Indian Railways to transport migrant workers and stranded individuals:
Contents
🚆 Official Launch on 1 May 2025
- On 1 May 2020 (Labour Day), the Ministry of Railways, following Home Ministry (MHA) guidelines, commenced the operation of Shramik Special trains to transport migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students, and others stranded due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
These trains were run only upon the request of both originating and receiving state governments, following strict protocols for safety and coordination. - Passengers were screened by the sending state and only asymptomatic individuals were allowed to board. Senior officials from both states served as nodal officers to manage operations.
🧾 Key Features & Early Operations
- Launch Details windowed the start of services—migrant travel via road began earlier, but rail services were only permitted starting 1 May.
These special trains first operated on that day from stations like Hyderabad (Telangana) to Jharkhand destinations. - These were point-to-point services, meaning they carried pre-registered passengers only and did not accept general booking via counters.
Timed departures, health screening, social distancing onboard (~55 passengers per compartment), and free meals & water were part of SOPs.
📊 Scale & Expansion
- By 11 May 2025, Indian Railways had operated 468 Shramik Special trains—363 had reached destinations, while 105 were still in transit. Most journeys were to states including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with each train carrying up to ~1,200 migrants.
- By 29 May, cumulative services reached 3,840 trains, transporting 52 lakh passengers. Indian Railways committed to providing requested trains within 24 hours of state demand.
- As of 9 June, a total of 4,347 Shramik Specials had transported about 60 lakh stranded persons across India.
🧭 Why This Program Was Critical
- Marked the first rail-based national effort to evacuate stranded individuals during lockdown, switching from only bus-based transport.
- Required formal state requests to operate, ensuring coordination with both sending and receiving states.
- Demonstrated rapid ramp-up from just a few trains on Day 1 to hundreds daily, reflecting national logistical scale-up.
✅ Quick Summary
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Inaugural Date | 1 May 2025 (Labour Day) |
| Train Type | Shramik / Labour Special Trains |
| Eligibility | Migrant workers, students, pilgrims, tourists stranded due to lockdown |
| Operational Protocol | Only on state requests; thermal screening; social distancing onboard |
| Initial Operations | Point-to-point, state-registered passengers only |
| Volume by 11 May | 468 trains, ~363 completed, ~1,200 passengers/train |
| Scale by 29 May | ~3,840 trains, 52 lakh persons transported |
| Total by 9 June | ~4,347 services, 60 lakh passengers |
Would you like to dive into specific routes (e.g. Karnataka to Odisha/Bihar), state-wise breakdown of operations, SOP documents, or impact stories from passengers?