Crossing Borders: Oxygen Express To Supply LMO To Bangladesh

New Delhi: For the first time, India is transporting liquid medical oxygen (LMO) across its border to another country.

The Union Ministry of Railways informed on Saturday that an Oxygen Express train of Indian Railways will carry 200 metric tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen to Bangladesh.

“Indian Railways’ Oxygen Express service is set to embark on its journey to Bangladesh. This is the first time ever that it has been put into operation to a neighbouring country. Today, an indent was placed at Tatanagar in Chakradharpur Division under the South Eastern Railway to transport 200 MT of LMO to Benapole, Bangladesh,” ministry of Railways stated.

The 200 MT of liquid medical oxygen was loaded in 10 containers.

Oxygen Express trains were introduced in the last week of April to address the acute shortage of oxygen in the country as it grappled with a severe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Odisha was among top two contributors of LMO during the crisis which saw the requirement go up from 3095 MT in the first wave to 9000 MT.

A total of 480 Oxygen Express trains supplied more than 35,000 MT of LMO to 15 states from April to June.