Indian railway cancels all services till March 31 as corona cases rise

The Indian government announced all train services including passenger will remain suspended till March 31 as the number of coronavirus cases rose to 341 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the 14-hour Janata Curfew began at 7am with Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a fresh appeal to citizens to remain indoors to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, reported Indian Express.

A day ahead of the lockdown, several busy junctions across the country such as Delhi's Connaught Place and Sarojini Nagar, Mumbai's Marine Drive and Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus station and Kolkata's New Market area wore a deserted look on Saturday.

The self-imposed curfew, as per the Health Ministry, will help contain the coronavirus transmission, which has so far claimed the lives of four people in the country.

From suspending metro services to deploying additional cops, the states have also ramped up measures to encourage people to stay indoors between 7 am to 9 pm Sunday. The Indian Railways has already announced to shut down its services, however clarifying that the trains that have already commenced their journeys would reach its destination on Sunday.

The passengers who wish to stay at stations during the Janata curfew would be accommodated at stations and waiting areas. Delhi and Bengaluru Metro rail services would also remain suspended Sunday.