While PM Modi announced lockdown 4.0 in his address yesterday, special trains run by the Indian Railways will keep catering to passengers. The new lockdown will have new terms and rules, which will be made public by May 18. Railways’ special trains have come as a sigh of relief for stranded people, whose problem would have aggravated with lockdown 4.0.
IRCTC made an announcement on Sunday that it will be restarting passenger train operations from May 12. The railways stopped the passenger railway services in March amid the Coronavirus pandemic. As per the latest news reports, 15 trains are currently operating.
Booking for these trains started on May 11 from 4 PM, available only on the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) or through its mobile application.
Read more:
Indian Railways to begin passenger trains from May 12; new rules travellers must know
Here’s the list of the said trains that will start running from May 12:
1. New Delhi to Dibrugarh
2. New Delhi to Agartala
3. New Delhi to Howrah
4. New Delhi to Patna
5. New Delhi to Bilaspur
6. New Delhi to Ranchi
7. New Delhi to Bhubaneshwar
8. New Delhi to Secunderabad
9. New Delhi to Bengaluru
10.New Delhi to Chennai
11.New Delhi to Ahmedabad
12.New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram
13.New Delhi to Jammu Tawi
14.New Delhi to Madgaon
15.New Delhi to Mumbai Central
The Railway Ministry, in its statement, stated that it will be starting more special services on new routes gradually. However, it will be mandatory for the passengers to wear masks, and undergo thorough screening at departure, and asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train.
Shramik Special trains, which began to ferry stranded migrant workers from May 1, will continue to run.
The country is due to lift the lockdown on May 17, and has started to ease the lockdown gradually. As of now, inter-state public transport, domestic and international flights are still grounded.