Bengaluru, Apr 10 (IANS): South Western Railway (SWR) zone has chipped in with 270 coaches converted into Covid quarantine wards to increase isolation facilities in the country, an official said on Friday.

"In a bid to increase the country's capacity for isolation facilities, Railways is converting sleeper class coaches into Covid isolation wards suitable to act as quarantine hubs," said an official spokesperson in a statement.

The railway coach quarantine wards are expected to meet any exigency as and when the government requires.

Equipped with facilities as required by medical guidelines and paramedics, each coach will turn into an eight berth cabin for isolation.

"SWR has so far converted 270 coaches, as against a target of 312 coaches as quarantine wards as per isolation cabin prototype. This coach isolation prototype was issued by the Railway Board on March 30," said the statement.

As part of the conversion, the railway zone has detached middle berths and ladders for space and comfort, hung transparent plastic air curtains, fixed bottle holders to hold medical equipment and water bottles and created a cabin for storage and paramedics near the bathroom among others tweaks.

Among the 270 coaches, SWR's Hubballi Workshop converted 76 coaches, Mysuru Workshop (71), Bengaluru Division (61), Mysuru Division (29) and Hubballi Division (33).

Suresh Angadi, Minister of State for Railways is scheduled to visit Hubballi Workshop on Friday to review the progress.