‘Oxygen Expresses’ delivered over 6600 MT oxygen to Tamil Nadu, Kerala: Southern Railway

Chennai: The ‘Oxygen Express’ trains have delivered over 6600 metric tonnes of medical oxygen to Tamil Nadu and Kerala since May 14, the Southern Railways said on Thursday (June 24).

The supply of the critical resource amid the second wave of Covid-19 was done via 84 Oxygen Express trains. The gas was delivered at various points across the two southern states to meet the demand in the respective regions.

Tondiarpet and Harbour in Chennai, Madukkarai near Coimbatore, besides Trichy, Irugur, Tiruvallur and Vadipatpi were among the places where trains carrying 6086.79 MT oxygen arrived in Tamil Nadu,  whereas, four trains delivered 513.72MT oxygen to Vallarpadam in Kerala.

As on Thursday, 352 tankers carrying medical oxygen were delivered of which 325 were for Tamil Nadu and 27 for Kerala.

The Indian Railways had started this initiative of running Oxygen Express to cater to the requirement of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in different parts of the country. Oxygen Express trains carry cryogenic tankers mounted on flat-type wagons.

The cryogenic tankers mounted on trucks and filled with LMO are transported by rail from the manufacturing state to the state that is in need. On reaching the destination, the tanks are lifted by crane and loaded onto trucks that can ferry them to the hospitals and facilities in need.

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