Minister announces stopping of operation of 34 trains

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Saturday urged the people to avoid unnecessary travel amid coronavirus outbreak. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that they had decided to shut down 34 trains for the time being as part of the measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
The minister said that 22 trains would be shut down from March 24, while 12 trains would cease to operate from tomorrow evening. He said that trains would remain shut down till the 15th of Ramzan. The minister stressed upon the passengers to avoid unnecessary travel through trains.
He said that as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, there were now 20 percent less railway passengers. The railways minister said that train services were being suspended as precautionary measures, and once the situation got normal, the services would be restored.
He said, "We will receive the screening equipment for COVID-19 in two days." The minister said the cargo trains would remain operational and the ministry would try to generate maximum revenue out of it. The minister said that the coronavirus pandemic had devastated the global economy. However, he maintained that he did not endorse the option of locking down the entire country or even selected cities.