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New Delhi : Ministry of Railways (MoR) after consultation with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced that train services on Indian Railways shall be further partially restored from June 1, 2020. More than 1.45 lakh passengers will travel on Day 1 of 200 trains starting on June 1, 2000.
As an important step in graded restoration of passenger train services, Indian Railways will start on June 1, 2020, 200 trains in addition to the existing Shramik Special trains being to run since May 1, 2020, and Special AC trains (30 trains) being run since May 12, 2020.
All passengers must wear face covers/masks at the entry and during travel. The passengers shall reach the station 90 minutes in advance to facilitate thermal screening at the station. Only passengers who are found asymptomatic will be permitted to travel. Passengers shall observe social distancing.
These trains are on the pattern of Regular Trains. These are fully reserved trains having both AC & Non AC classes. General (GS) coaches have reserved sitting accommodation. There will be no unreserved coach in the train. Normal class wise fare will be charged and for reserved GS coaches (General sitting), being reserved, second seating (2S) fare for reserved trains shall be charged and seat will be provided to all the passengers, according to a PIB release.
No catering charges shall be included in the fare. Provision for pre paid meal booking, e-catering shall be disabled. However, IRCTC shall make provision for limited eatables and packaged drinking water on payment basis only in limited trains, having Pantry car attached. No Linen, blankets and curtains shall be provided inside the train. Passengers are advised to carry their own linen for the travel. The temperature inside AC coaches shall be suitably regulated for this purpose.
At 9 am on May 31, 2020, the total bookings of passengers was 25,82,671. Booking of tickets for these trains is being done online through IRCTC website or Mobile App. Indian Railways has also allowed booking of reservation tickets through the reservation counters, Common Service Centers(CSCs) and Ticketing agents w.e.f. May 22, 2020.
As previously informed, Indian Railways has modified instructions for 30 special Rajdhani type trains started w.e.f. May 12, 2020, and 200 Special Mail Express to be introduced from June 1, 2020 (total 230 trains). It has been decided to increase the advance reservation period (ARP) of all 230 Specials from 30 days to 120 days. Booking of Parcel and luggage shall be permitted in all these 230 trains. The above changes have been implemented from 8 am of train booking date of May 31, 2020, onwards.
Other terms e.g., Current booking, Tatkal quota allocation of seats to roadside stations etc are to be same as in regular time tabled trains. Booking of Tatkal ticket can be done from June 29, 2020, for journey date June 30, 2020, and onwards. These instructions can also be viewed on the website of Indian Railways www.indianrailways.gov.in under the head commercial circulars in Traffic Commercial Directorate.
Charting & Boarding of Trains:
- RAC and Wait list will be generated as per extant rules.
- No unreserved (UTS) tickets will be issued and no tickets will be issued onboard to any passenger during the journey.
- ALLOWED- Along with Fully confirmed and RAC passengers, partially Waitlisted Ticket holders (if in single PNR there are confirmed & WL passengers both) also allowed.
- NOT ALLOWED – Waitlisted passengers.
- Booking of Tatkal ticket can be done from June 29, 2020 for journey date June 30, 2020 and onwards.
- First chart shall be prepared at least 4 hours before scheduled departure and second chart shall be prepared at least 2 hours (unlike present practice of 30 minutes) before scheduled departure.
- All passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to enter /board the train.