Oxygen Express leaves Vizag for Mumbai

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizag became the first city in the country to send

medical oxygen

to Mumbai at a time when the financial capital is witnessing a steep spike in Covid-19 cases. Produced by the

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

(

VSP

), the oxygen sent from Vizag is expected to cater to the needs of at least 10,000 Covid-19 patients.


The cylinders were sent to Mumbai on a ‘roll on roll off’ basis of the Indian Railways through the country’s first

Oxygen Express

.

Speaking to TOI, a VSP official said, “The train was supposed to reach here on Wednesday but got delayed due to various reasons. We have filled oxygen and flagged-off the train for Mumbai on Thursday evening.” 100 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen, enough for 10,000 oxygen cylinders have been sent.

VSP has created a separate ramp for the facility. Seven empty cryogenic tankers with total carrying capacity of over 100 tonnes were checked as per protocol before the train left for Mumbai.

Wailtair railway division’s senior commercial manager AK Tripathi said, “In the second wave, the railways has come forward to run the Oxygen Express to supply medical oxygen from various steel plants to different parts of the country. During the first wave, we initiated conversion of some trains into isolation wards.”