Reverse Migration Of Workers Begin As Trains From Migrant-Heavy States Run With 100% Occupancy

After the nationwide lockdown was announced back in March, millions of out-of-work migrant workers headed back to their hometowns. The Centre arranged for special trains to ferry them back to their home states.

However, a reverse trend is emerging now.

Most special trains from migrant rich states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal towards cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore are scheduled to run on 100 per cent occupancy over the next four days, the Railways said, adding it was a good sign.

These three states together accounted for 81 percent of the 4,594 Shramik Special trains that have been operated so far since May 1.

PTI

Railway Board Chairperson VK Yadav said the migrant workers who are returning to the cities are doing so in the regular trains that are being run by the Railways since June 1.

June 1 onwards, the Railways is running 100 pairs of mail/express trains and 15 pairs of air-conditioned trains on the Rajdhani routes.

"It is very encouraging to note that some of the trains which are moving in reverse direction -- trains from UP to Mumbai, Bihar to Mumbai or UP to Gujarat or West Bengal to Gujarat showing increase in occupancy day by day. This is an indicator that the economic situation is picking up. We are talking to state governments and in the coming week we will announce new special trains based on occupancy,¡± Yadav was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

According to data provided by railways, most trains originating in Bihar and going towards Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad have high occupancy.

BCCL

Among the trains from Bihar, the Muzaffarpur-Bandra terminal special has an occupancy of 115 percent in the next four days, the Danapur-Secunderabad special has an occupancy of 121 per cent and the Muzaffarpur-Ahmedabad special train of 127 per cent, the PTI report added.

Uttar Pradesh which has received 1,723 Shramik Special trains so far is also seeing migrant workers returning to their workplaces.

West Bengal, another state with a high number of migrant workers, is also witnessing people moving back to the workplace in other states.

The data revealed that trains from Howrah to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Secunderabad are all running on full occupancy.

This reverse migration could be seen as a good sign towards the economic revival and jobs being generated after lockdown left most migrant workers out of work and threw the economy off-track.