A special train with approximately 950 Army personnel, who have finished their training at key centres such as Bengaluru, Secunderabad, Gopalpur and Belgaum and need to be moved for their deployment in operational areas in North India, started from Bengaluru on Friday.

All personnel have undergone mandatory quarantine period and are medically fit. The train is scheduled to reach Jammu on April 20.

Earlier this week, the Centre gave its nod for the running of two special trains to be deployed for the Indian Army personnel citing national security consideration, according to officials aware of the development.

“To meet the operational requirements for Northern and Eastern borders, two military special trains are planned to be run. These are: Bangalore - Belgaum- Secunderabad - Ambala- Jammu on 17 April 20. And Bangalore - Belgaum- Secunderabad - Gopalpur - Howrah - NJP - Guwahati on 18 April 20,” a senior official had said.

“This will enable decongestion of Category A and B training establishments at Bengaluru, Belgaum, Secundrabad & Gopalpur as well assist in op preparedness of active formations deployed in the borders,” he added.

The railways has ensured all possible precautions for Covid-19, like disinfection of platforms and bogies, detailed briefing of the personnel, instructions pasted outside and inside the bogies, establishment of sanitisation tunnel and following social distancing norms and screening of passengers.

All passenger train services and domestic and international flights have been suspended since the nationwide 21-day lockdown came into effect from March 25 and further extended by another 19 days till May 3 to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The Indian Railways is only running freight and parcel trains for an uninterrupted supply of essential goods.