South Eastern Railway 38 Shramik Special Trains carrying more than 45,000 stranded migrant workers
38 SHRAMIK SPECIALS WITH MORE THAN 45,000 STRANDED MIGRANT WORKERS & OTHERSARRIVE AT VARIOUS DESTINATIONS UNDER SER & 2 SHRAMIK SPECIALS ORIGINATE FROM SER
Indian Railways is running Shramik Special Trains following the order of Ministry of Home Affairs for movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students, patients and other persons stranded at different places of the country due to nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
Indian Railways is running these Shramik Special Trains since 1st May, 2025 to bring back the migrant workers and others to their respective home States. These Special Trains are being run only after concurrence is given both by the State which is sending the passengers and the State which is receiving them.
As a result of the initiative taken by the Ministry of Railways in co-ordination with respective State Governments, so far 38 Shramik Special Trains carrying more than 45,000 stranded migrant workers and others have arrived at different stations under South Eastern Railway’s jurisdiction.
Out of 38 Shramik Special Trains, 15 Specials have arrived in Kharagpur Division at Howrah, Hijli and Balasore stations, 8 Specials have arrived in Adra Division at Bankura, Purulia and Bokaro Steel City stations, 11 Specials have arrived in Ranchi Division at Hatia station and 4 Specials have arrived in Chakradharpur Division at Tatanagar station from different parts of the country viz. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala etc.
In addition, 2 Shramik Special Trains with stranded migrant workers and others have originated from SER’s jurisdiction so far. one Special left Hatia Station for Jaipur on 14th May, 2025 and another Shramik Special left today (17.05.2025) for Bikaner from Shalimar station.
During the journey, migrant workers and others are being provided with food and water served by IRCTC. The stations of SER where trains are dealt with, have been properly disinfected and sanitized before and after the train movements. Medical Team, members of Railway Protection Force and other railway staff are deployed at stations to take care of the passengers. Necessary checkup has been arranged for the passengers at both the entry and exit points with the active participation of the concerned State Government Authority.
Certainly! Here are the verified details about the South Eastern Railway’s (SER) operation of Shramik Special Trains, based on official data from May 2025:
Contents
🚆 Shramik Special Trains by South Eastern Railway
- As of 17 May 2020, SER operated 38 Shramik Special trains carrying more than 45,000 stranded migrant workers and others, facilitating their return to various home states
- Out of these 38 trains:
- 15 terminated in Howrah, Hijli, and Balasore (Kharagpur division)
- 8 reached Bankura, Purulia, and Bokaro Steel City (Adra division)
- 11 arrived at Hatia station near Ranchi (Ranchi division)
- 4 reached Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) (Chakradharpur division)
- Additionally, 2 Shramik Special trains originated from within SER’s territory:
- One departed Hatia for Jaipur on 14 May 2025
- Another left Shalimar for Bikaner on 17 May 2025
🔍 Context and Operations
- These services were initiated following the Ministry of Home Affairs directive on 1 May 2025, enabling Indian Railways to run point-to-point “Shramik Special” trains to transport migrant workers, pilgrims, students, tourists, patients, and other stranded individuals across states during the national lockdown due to COVID‑19
- The trains were only operated with coordination and concurrence between the sending state and receiving state authorities, and passengers were registered and screened by their respective state authorities before travel
- Travelers were provided with meals and drinking water by IRCTC during journeys; stations and coaches were disinfected and sanitized before and after operations, and medical teams with Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff were deployed at departure and arrival points
📊 Quick Summary
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of SER Shramik trains | 38 |
| Passengers transported | Over 45,000 |
| Divisional arrival breakdown | Howrah/Hijli/Balasore: 15 trainsBankura/Purulia/Bokaro: 8 trainsHatia: 11 trainsTatanagar: 4 trains |
| Originating SER trains | 2 trains (to Jaipur and Bikaner) |
| Timeline | Up through 17 May 2025 |
✅ Key Takeaway
By mid‑May 2025, South Eastern Railway had significantly contributed to the national Shramik Special train operations by handling a substantial share—38 trains carrying more than 45,000 stranded individuals—across Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and neighboring states.
If you’d like more details about specific train routes, state-wise origins, timelines beyond mid-May 2025, or broader Indian Railways statistics for Shramik operations, feel free to ask!