Two more trains to bring back stranded HP residents, one will head to WB from Una

Two more special trains will bring back Himachal Pradesh residents stranded in Mumbai and Goa due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, whereas one train will ensure the return of West Bengal natives stranded in HP, an official said on Saturday.

The two trains with stranded HP natives will arrive from Mumbai and Goa at Una on May 17 at 10.55 pm and May 18 at 2.40 am respectively, Una Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said.

The two trains are scheduled to arrive at Una railway station within a gap of four hours.

The district administration is making arrangements to receive them at Una railway station by ensuring social distancing norms and providing them food packets, hand sanitisers and face masks upon arrival, he added.

Earlier, 2,128 HP residents stranded in Goa and Karnataka returned to their state in two special trains. While 642 people returned to HP from Bengaluru in a special train on May 13, 1,486 people stranded in Goa arrived in Una in another train on May 15.

The DC said a special train will depart on May 20 in the morning from Una to West Bengal with its last destination at Howrah railway station, he added.

The West Bengal residents stranded in various districts of HP may get themselves registered with deputy commissioners concerned to return to their state in the train, he added.