Second Oxygen Express Train Reaches Hyderabad

After the first Oxygen Express special, loaded with five tankers of medical oxygen, commenced its journey from Odisha's Angul to Secunderabad on May 1, the second Oxygen Express train also reached Hyderabad today.

The train brought four tanks containing 60.23 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen that were sent to Odisha to be filled on April 29.

The second train also started from Angul, and covered a distance of 1,334 km in around 31 hours, while traveling at an average speed of 43 kmph from its starting station.

This precious cryogenic cargo was ferried back into the state with extreme care - there are many specific parameters that need to be met while transporting such cargo, including a maximum speed limit, maximum acceleration and deceleration rates, and several loading restrictions. The route for the train was, therefore, decided to keep all these factors in mind.

To ensure that the oxygen-carrying specials reach their destinations in the shortest possible duration, the South Central Railways (SCR) have created a "green corridor route" that enables the trains to move in an uninterrupted fashion at a constant speed.

SCR General Manager Gajanan Mallya complimented the railway officials for their dedicated action in running the Oxygen Express trains and for ensuring the prompt delivery of the life-saving cylinders.

The Oxygen Express trains have been started by the Indian Railways to provide safe, secure, hassle-free, and fast transportation of medical oxygen to different parts of the country during these difficult times. Under the initiative, road tankers are transported by the railways through the roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) freight services.

The trains are operated at the request of the state governments. While the states must themselves provide the tankers for the oxygen, the Indian Railways takes on the responsibility of bringing back the refilled tankers to the requisitioning state in the fastest and feasible way.