With Centre and state government announcing free rations to poor during lockdown period, Indian Railways transported record foodgrains to different parts of the country to be distributed to poor under Public Distribution System (PDS) for the past one month.

The railway transported more 5.2 million tonnes of foodgrains from March 25 to April 25, 2020. It is more than double the quantity foodgrains moved in 2019 same period.

On April 22, the national transporter did record loading of 112 rakes equivalent to 3.13 lakh tonnes beating the previous record of loading of 92 rakes of 2.27 lakh tonnes on April 9, said an official in the Railways.

While wheat was loaded from Punjab and Haryana, rice was loaded from Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

"The Railways is making all efforts to ensure that farm products like foodgrains are picked up on time and also to ensure uninterrupted supply chain," said the official.

The loading, transportation and unloading of these essential commodities have been in progress in full swing during the lockdown period in coordination with Food Corporation of India ( FCI). Besides, large quantities of pulses also transported by national transporter during the lockdown period.

The railways also operating more than 500 parcel trains since the start of the lockdown transporting for perishable commodities including fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products and seeds for agriculture purpose.

It also notified routes with a fixed time table to run parcel trains. "These parcel trains have been given en-route stoppages at all feasible locations so that maximum possible clearance of parcels can be done," said the official.