Mysore/Mysuru: South Western Railway (SWR), Mysuru Division, celebrated the 74th Independence Day yesterday at the Railway Sports Grounds in the presence of Officers and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel while families participated through web telecast.

COVID Warriors, doctors and staff from Railway Hospital, health workers and house-keeping staff were felicitated for their dedicated service during this pandemic. 

Aparna Garg, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), who unfurled the National Flag, recalled India’s great struggle for freedom and highlighted the performance of SWR  Mysuru Division. Even though the whole country came to a standstill during nationwide lockdown, the wheels of Goods Train kept moving to maintain supply chain of essential commodities intact. 

To supplement existing health care, within record time, 320 sleeper coaches were speedily converted to COVID Care Centres by SWR and were made ready for use by Health Department as directed by Ministry of Home Affairs, the DRM said.

SWR has run 226 Sharmik Specials to various States, facilitating safe return of approximately 4 lakh migrant workers to their homes, she said adding that Mysuru Division ran 12 Shramik Specials facilitating safe return of 17,000 migrant workers.

In all, 35 sleepers coaches were converted as COVID Care Centre by SWR Mysuru Division which has also created Isolation Wards and COVID Care Units in Railway Hospital for treatment and quarantine facility. 

Apart from this, Mysuru Division has been in the forefront of battle against COVID by equipping frontline warriors with protection equipment, she said and added that 1,710 masks, 22 litres of hand sanitisers and 9,853 coveralls were manufactured in C&W Workshop and Coaching Depot int Mysuru. 

She also highlighted the performance of doctors, paramedical staff and health workers 24×7. Referring to COVID-19 in the Division, she said that 110 persons were infected and among them 27 staff have been discharged while 75 patients are under treatment. 

Turning adversities into opportunities, Aparna Garg said, SWR carried out significant number of track maintenance works such as tamping, ballasting, trucking out old rails and sleepers, USFD etc., from April 2020.  “Our maintenance teams are on toes to ensure safe and smooth passage of trains including the day and night patrolling in challenging Hassan-Subramanya Road Ghat section,” she said adding that major infrastructure works were undertaken during lockdown period. 

Restoration of heritage buildings 

Mysuru Division has been working to enhance the passenger experience at Mysuru City Railway Station and in the last two years the Division has worked tirelessly and meticulously to restore the heritage buildings. First it was the Divisional Office and then Mysuru Station with state-of-the-art Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and Art Gallery. 

Besides, the Mysuru Rail Museum which was closed for almost a year has been given a complete makeover with modern architecture and re-imagined spaces. It has been developed tastefully and has many new features. It should be ‘a must see place’ on every Mysurean’s itinerary, she said. With an open amphitheatre in pristine surrounding, it is a new place in ‘Namma Mysuru’ for organising art and literary events, she said. 

Lauding the involvement of South Western Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation in all activities and the services of RPF, Scouts and Guides, She called upon the Officers, Supervisors, Staff and RPF personnel to strive for accomplishing the aim of building a New Railways and a New India.