Train services from tomorrow: Guidelines you need to follow while travelling

Nearly two months after it suspended its passenger operations in view of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the Indian Railways will gradually resume passenger train services from May 12. On Monday, the Home Ministry issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the movement of people by trains and made it clear that only asymptomatic and confirmed ticket holders will be allowed to travel. Passengers have to reach 90 mins in advance in stations to board the trains.

Booking for reservation in these trains will start at 4 pm today and will be available only on the IRCTC website. The fares of these trains will be that of Rajdhani trains, which means all these will be all air-conditioned coaches. Fares will be similar to that of Rajdhanis.

A total of 15 trains for different destinations will leave New Delhi on Tuesday for which bookings will begin today. The special trains will run from New Delhi to Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.

Guidelines that train passengers have to follow from tomorrow:

1. Passengers have to reach 90 mins in advance in stations to board the trains.

2. All passengers will be compulsorily screened.

3. Only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the train.

4. During boarding and travel, all passengers have to observe social distancing.

5. All passengers have to wear face covers/ masks at entry and during travel.

6. Only passengers with confirmed e-tickets shall be allowed to enter the station.

7. The movement of the passenger(s), as well as the driver of the vehicle transporting the passenger(s) to and fro the railway station, shall be allowed on the basis of the confirmed e-ticket.

8. On arrival at their destination, the travelling passengers will have to adhere to such health protocols as are prescribed by the destination state or union territory.

9. Passengers have to bring their own food, blankets and bedsheets from home to avoid the risk of infection.

10. Pre-packed snacks, biscuits will be available with the onboard catering staff, they will be sold to passengers who need them, just like the airlines do.

11. All passengers shall be provided hand sanitiser at stations and in coaches.

12. Railways "advises" passengers of these trains to download Aarogya Setu app. But not a precondition to travel

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)