PASSENGER train service is being resumed gradually from MAY 12
INDIAN Railways gradually restarting passenger train operations from 12th May 2020, initially with 15 pairs of trains (30 return journeys). These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi. Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal says on twitter thereafter, Indian Railways shall start more special services on new routes, based on the available coaches after reserving 20,000 coaches for COVID-19 care centers and an adequate number of coaches being reserved to enable operation of up to 300 trains every day as “Shramik Special” for stranded migrants. Booking for reservation on these trains will start at 4 pm IST on 11th May and will be available only on the IRCTC website (https://www.irctc.co.in). Ticket booking counters at the railway stations shall remain closed and no counter tickets including platform tickets shall be issued. Only passengers with valid confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the railway stations. It will be mandatory for the passengers to wear face cover and undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train. Further details including the train schedule will be issued separately in due course, Piyush Goyal added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have interaction with Chief Ministers through video conferencing tomorrow afternoon to review the country’s progress in containing the coronavirus pandemic. Discussion on further relaxations to boost up economic activities is likely to take place. The meeting will also be attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan including other senior officials. AIR correspondent reports it will be the Prime Minister’s fifth video conference with the Chief Ministers since the announcement of nationwide lockdown in March. As the country enters into the last week of its third phase of lockdown, the meeting is very crucial in terms of finalising the roadmap ahead.
