Coronavirus: Mumbai local trains' shut down till March 31st

Mumbai, March 22 For the first time in 46 years, the sprawling Indian Railway network, including Mumbai's lifeline the suburban trains which ferry around 8.5 million commuters daily will completely shut down till March 31 for all passengers to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Though Mumbai witnesses partial or near-total disruptions in suburban trains during monsoons, or the occasional 'bandhs', or terror strikes, this is the first time that the government has intervened to close all passenger train services, local or long-distance, barring freight trains, with possibly serious repercussions for the national economy as a whole. The Centre's move came even as the Maharashtra government was toying with the idea of shutting down

( With inputs from IANS )