According to Yadav, in the last week itself on an average as many as 3 lakh migrants have been transporetd through trains on a daily basis.

Shramik special trains: Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways has stated that it is ready to run Shramik special trains as per the demands of the originating state. “Indian Railways is ready to run Shramik special trains on demand, we need only a day’s time after the state raises the demand. The demand for trains from originating states has gone down,” VK Yadav, Chairman Railway Board said while addressing a press conference. “We are also running MEMUs and DEMUs in states like Bihar and UP for intra-state movement for the convenience of migrants arriving in these states,” Yadav said.

According to Yadav, in the last week itself on an average as many as 3 lakh migrants have been transporetd through trains on a daily basis. “From May 1 to May 28, we have run 3,840 Shramik special trains moving as many as 52 lakh passengers,” Yadav said.

According to the Railway Board, some of the special features of Shramik Movement include health and screening protocols, meals for passengers including, breakfast, lunch, dinner (the meals are being served at en-route stations and not on board), food and water provided by the state governments at starting stations, meals and water arranged by IRCTC and Railway Divisions for Shramiks in trains en route, distribution of more than 85 lakh meals and 1.25 crore water bottles for free. Also, the Railway Board stated that NGOs supplemented efforts as well as local halwais, bakeries were mobilized by Railway Divisions at various stations to prepare snacks and foods for Shramik passengers.

Also, due to the current COVID-19 crisis, there has been uncertainty in demand. As per railway capacity, it was not a 24 hour steady flow, the board stated. The originations of Shramik Special trains took place after completing all the local protocols by the state mostly in post noon 16-24 shift. Thus, this left one third route capacity per day to handle these trains. On arrival, all passengers were registered and screened by state governments, which limited the capacity of terminals to handle trains. As against 20 minutes taken in normal trains, it took one to three hours in releasing the train at terminals, the Railway Board said.

Lastly, to protect those who are vulnerable to COVID-19, the Railway Board asked passengers with co-morbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, immune deficiency conditions as well as pregnant women, children below 10 years and people above 65 years to avoid train travel, except when it is really urgent.

The train ticket booking or cancellation facility for IRCTC special trains is also available at Indian Railways‘ computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters in railway premises or reservation centers as well as Common Service Centers (CSC).

Book IRCTC special train tickets at post offices as well! With effect from 22 May 2020 i.e., Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways has opened the facility of booking or cancellation of reserved train tickets at Post Offices. Other than Post Offices, the ticket booking or cancellation facility has also resumed in Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra (YTSK) licensees as well as through authorized agents of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). The train ticket booking or cancellation facility for IRCTC special trains is also available at Indian Railways’ computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters in railway premises or reservation centers as well as Common Service Centers (CSC).

According to Railway Ministry, the zonal railways have been instructed by the national transporter to decide and notify the opening of reservation counters for booking or cancellation of tickets as per local needs and conditions. According to the ministry, as per the existing protocols, the running of Shramik Special train services will continue to be handled by state Governments. Besides, Indian Railways is also running 15 pairs of AC passenger train services. The advance reservation period for these special 15 pairs of AC trains has been extended from 7 days to 30 days. The Railway Ministry announced that in addition to these trains, 200 special passenger train services will start operating from 1 June 2020. The online ticket bookings for the upcoming special trains started on the IRCTC website and IRCTC app from May 21.

Meanwhile, recently it has been reported that a drive was conducted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) as Indian Railways had received several complaints regarding the touts of e-tickets using multiple personal ids, cornering reserved berths in the special trains. This drive was launched by RPF on 20 May 2020. Under this drive, 14 touts including eight IRCTC agents have been arrested as well as tickets worth Rs 6,36,727 have been recovered by the RPF.

From the existing 7 days, the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) of these Special AC trains will be increased to 30 days. For these Special AC trains, there will be no Tatkal booking facility.

IRCTC special trains new ticket booking rules: With effect from 12 May 2020, Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways has been running 15 pairs of special air-conditioned train services. Besides, the national transporter is also operating several Shramik Special trains from 1 May 2020 onwards. Recently, in addition to these trains, the Railway Ministry also made an announcement to run as many as 200 non-AC train services with effect from June 1. However, for the convenience of the passengers, the ministry has decided to revise certain ticket booking rules of the 15 pairs of Special AC trains.

For these Special AC trains, there will be no Tatkal booking facility.

In these special trains, RAC / Waiting list train tickets will be issued as per extant instructions applicable. However, as per extant instructions, waitlisted passengers will not be allowed to board these AC Special trains.

Unlike the earlier practice of 30 minutes, the first chart will be generated at least four hours before the train’s scheduled departure and the second chart will be generated at least two hours before the train’s scheduled departure. The current booking facility for these trains will be allowed in between the first and second charts.

The tickets for the Special trains can be booked through computerized PRS counters including Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra (YTSK) licensees, Post Offices, etc. Besides, ticket booking can also be done online including through authorized agents of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) as well as Common Service Centres.

According to the ministry, these revised ticket booking rules will be in effect from train booking date 24 May and for trains starting date of 31 May onwards.

According to the Railway Ministry, these IRCTC special trains shall be in addition to the existing Shramik Special trains being operated since 1 May 2020 as well as Special AC trains (30 trains) being run since 12 May 2020.

IRCTC special trains from June 1 ticket booking, cancellation, tatkal tickets, waitlisting & refund rules: Indian Railways will start operations of as many as 200 passenger train services, which will run from 1 June 2020 and ticket booking of these trains commenced from 10:00 AM on 21 May 2020. According to the Railway Ministry, these IRCTC special trains shall be in addition to the existing Shramik Special trains being operated since 1 May 2020 as well as Special AC trains (30 trains) being run since 12 May 2020. However, other regular passenger train services including all Mail/Express trains, suburban trains, passenger services will remain cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak until further advice.

IRCTC 200 special trains: Ticket booking, tatkal tickets, cancellation & refund rules

IRCTC ticket booking can be done only through the IRCTC website or IRCTC mobile application. Tickets for these trains will not be booked across the station’s reservation counter. Besides, ticket booking through IRCTC or Railway agents is not allowed as of now. However, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has indicated that railway counters may open at select stations in the next 2-3 days.

According to the ministry, the advance reservation period will be maximum for a period of 30 days.

As per extant rules, RAC, as well as Waitlist, will be generated. However, waiting list ticket holders will not be allowed to board the train.

For these passenger train services, tatkal and premium tatkal booking will not be permitted.

For these trains, UTS tickets will not be issued and also, during the journey, tickets will not be issued onboard to any passenger.

At least four hours before the train’s scheduled departure, the first chart will be prepared, while the second chart will be prepared at least two hours before the train’s scheduled departure. Moreover, online current booking will be allowed in between the first chart preparation and the second chart preparation.

For these train services, Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare rules, 2015 will be applicable.

If during the screening at the station, a person is found to have a very high temperature or novel coronavirus symptoms, he/she will not be permitted to board the train despite having confirmed ticket. However, full refund will be granted to the passenger as under:

i) On PNR (passenger name record) having a single passenger.

ii) If a passenger is found unfit to commence the journey, on a party ticket, and all other passengers on the same PNR also do not wish to commence the journey, then full refund will be granted to all of them.

iii) If a passenger is found unfit to commence the journey, on a party ticket, while others on the same PNR wish to travel, then refund will only be granted to that passenger who was not allowed to travel.

TTE certificates will be issued to passengers at the entry/screening/checking point itself mentioning the number of passengers not travelled due to novel coronavirus symptoms in one or more passengers. After receiving the TTE certificates at the station, online TDR has to be filed of not travelled passengers for the refund, within a duration of ten days from the date of journey. The original TTE certificate issued will have to be sent to IRCTC by the passenger and full fare for the part passenger/full who have not commenced the train journey will be refunded in the customer’s account.

Compulsorily screened will be done and only those who are found to be asymptomatic will be allowed to board the train.

Those who are travelling by these special passenger train services will observe the following precautions:

i) Only those with confirmed train tickets will be able to enter the station.

ii) At the entry as well as during travel, passengers will have to wear face covers/masks.

iii) For thermal screening at the station, passengers will have to reach the railway station at least 1 hour 30 minutes in advance.

iv) All travelling passengers will have to observe social distancing norms both at the railway station and on trains.

The WAG12B (12000 HP) freight locomotive is powerful and is capable of high speed, thus, it is a significant addition to the Indian Railways network.

Indian Railways’ big ‘Make in India’ success! The first WAG12B (12000 HP) locomotive, manufactured under Narendra Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative recently departed from the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya railway station in Uttar Pradesh. According to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, the WAG12B (12000 HP) freight locomotive is powerful and is capable of high speed, thus, it is a significant addition to the Indian Railways network. The train departed with WAG/12B-60027 at a speed of 100 Kmph from DDU at 2:08 PM in long haul formation for Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction-Barwadih Junction (BRWD) section of DDU and DHN divisions of East Central Railway zone.

The 12,000 HP electric locomotive, a first for Indian Railways, has been manufactured as well as assembled at Alstom’s factory in Madhepura, located in the state of Bihar. The national transporter got the locomotive from Alstom as part of a 3.5 billion euros ‘Make in India’ deal. In Indian Railways bid to go green and reduce the carbon footprint, the WAG12B (12000 HP) locomotive marks a significant milestone.

The WAG12-class locos will be used to power trains on Indian Railways’ Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) and conventional corridors. The project which is a joint venture of the national transporter and Alstom, involves the manufacturing of as many as 800 fully electric super-powered double-section locomotives as well as their maintenance for over a period of 11 years. So far, eight such locomotives have been rolled out, while the others will be rolled out on an annual basis.

During its trial run, the locomotive achieved a maximum speed of 120 km per hour. It has hauling power of up to 6,000 tonnes. The electric loco makes use of low voltage cables as well as, it has LED lamps, making it a “green loco”. The locomotive can withstand India’s extreme heat and humidity as well. Equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT)-based propulsion technology, the electric locomotive will lead to savings in the consumption of energy due to the use of regenerative braking.

The construction work on the 359 metre high Chenab Bridge has started amidst the lockdown period, imposed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Chenab Bridge status: The construction work on the world’s tallest railway bridge starts amid lockdown! The development work on Indian Railways’ Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project has started after taking permission from the government. The Chenab Bridge, which is a part of the USBRL project will soon become the world’s tallest railway bridge. According to Piyush Goyal chaired Railway Ministry, the construction work on the 359 metre high Chenab Bridge has started amidst the lockdown period, imposed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. However, all COVID-19 safety precautions are being ensured at the construction site, the ministry said. Watch the video here:

According to the Railway Ministry, many COVID-19 safety precautions are being ensured including sanitization prior to entry of workmen, entry of workmen into handwash area by maintaining physical distance, contactless handwash facility, safety shoes disinfection, digital thermal scanning, briefing by safety department and doctor, etc.

In the 111-kilometre long stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is a part of the USBRL project, the Chenab bridge forms a crucial link. The Chenab rail bridge will be 35 metres taller than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris! Also, once the construction work is completed, the Chenab railway bridge will surpass the record of China’s Beipan river Shuibai rail bridge (275 metres).

Earlier this year, Chairman of Konkan Railways, Sanjay Gupta was quoted in a PTI report saying that the construction of the railway bridge over the river Chenab is the most challenging task of the Kashmir rail link project, carried out in Indian Railways’ 150-year-long history. According to him, being developed in hostile terrain, the structure has used more than 5,462 tonnes of steel and the bridge has been designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 kmph. The Chenab railway bridge will be 359 metres above the river bed. An ambitious project, which was declared a national project in 2002, the USBRL will connect Kashmir Valley to Indian Railways’ network.

As on 14 May 2020, a total of 800 Shramik Special train services have been operationalized from various states across the nation.

Shramik special trains transport 1 million passengers! For the movement of migrant workers, tourists, students, pilgrims, and other stranded people at different places during the lockdown period, Indian Railways is operating several Shramik Special train services. According to a press release issued by the Railway Ministry, as on 14 May 2020, a total of 800 Shramik Special train services have been operationalized from various states across the nation. By travelling on these Shramik Special trains, more than 10 lakh passengers have reached their home state so far. According to the ministry, the train services are being operated by Indian Railways only after concurrence is given both by the state which is sending the passengers as well as the state which is receiving the passengers.

According to the Railway Ministry, these 800 Shramik Special trains were terminated in various states across the country like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttarakhand. Indian Railways is ensuring proper screening of passengers before boarding the train. During the train journey, railway passengers are being provided with free meals and water.

Meanwhile, Piyush Goyal chaired Railway Ministry in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family welfare had decided to partially restore passenger train services. Therefore, from 12 May 2020 onwards, a total of 15 pairs of special train services are being operated by the national transporter from New Delhi railway station to various destinations such as Ranchi, Chennai, Patna, Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai Central, Jammu Tawi, Bengaluru, Howrah, Bilaspur, Secunderabad, Madgaon, Dibrugarh, Thiruvananthapuram.

Passengers who wish to travel on these trains can book tickets through the IRCTC website or IRCTC mobile app. Also, downloading of Aarogya Setu mobile app is mandatory for passengers who wish to travel on these special trains.

The Shramik, as well as the special trains services, started with effect from May 1 and May 12 respectively, will continue to operate, according to a statement issued by Indian Railways.

Big announcement by Indian Railways! If you had an IRCTC train ticket booked for travel on or before 30 June 2020, here is some news for you. All train tickets that were booked for regular passenger train services for travel on or before 30 June 2020 have been cancelled by Indian Railways. However, this is not applicable for Shramik and special passenger trains that are being run by the national transporter during the lockdown period due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Shramik, as well as the special trains services, started with effect from May 1 and May 12 respectively, will continue to operate, according to a statement issued by Indian Railways. For the cancelled IRCTC train tickets, full refund will be granted to railway passengers. IRCTC has said that passengers need not go online to cancel their train tickets, the refund will be given automatically when it is processed by the system.

According to the statement issued by Indian Railways, except Shramik and special trains, all regular passenger train services including Mail or Express trains, passenger and suburban or local train services will remain cancelled until further advice. Indian Railways had suspended its regular train operations when the lockdown began in March, but continued to take ticket bookings for trains scheduled to run after April 14. But with the lockdown being extended, the national transporter suspended IRCTC advanced booking as well. Now, the decision has been taken to cancel all tickets for regular trains booked for journeys till June 30.

From 12 May 2020 onwards, 15 special passenger train services (30 including return journeys) are being operated by Indian Railways. The trains are being departed from the New Delhi railway station (NDLS) to various places including Ahmedabad, Secunderabad, Agartala, Jammu Tawi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Ranchi, Bilaspur, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Dibrugarh, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Howrah.

Besides, as per the demands received from the various state governments and based on the guidelines by the Ministry of Home Affairs, several Shramik special trains are being operated from various states across India. According to Railway Ministry, as on 13 May 2020, as many as 642 Shramik Special trains were terminated in various states like Andhra Pradesh (3 Trains), Bihar (169 Trains), Odisha (38 Trains), Himachal Pradesh (1 Train), Jammu and Kashmir (3 Trains), Chattisgarh (6 Trains), Karnataka (1 Train), Maharashtra (3 Trains), Jharkhand (40 Trains), Manipur (1 Train), Rajasthan (8 Trains), Madhya Pradesh (53 Trains), Tamil Nadu (1 Train), Tripura (1 Train), Mizoram (1 Train), Uttarakhand (4 Trains), Uttar Pradesh (301 Trains), West Bengal (7 Trains), Telangana (1 Train).

The announcement was made by FM Nirmala Sitharaman a day after PM Narendra Modi promised a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package to deal with the fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic

Modi Rs 20 lakh crore package details: In a big relief for contractors, all Central agencies have been asked to provide up to 6 months extension, without any cost to the contractor, for obligations such as completion of work. The announcement was made by FM Nirmala Sitharaman a day after PM Narendra Modi promised a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package to deal with the fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic. The relief for contractors covers construction and goods and services contracts. This includes Central agencies like Indian Railways, roadways and highways projects, Central Public Works Department etc. The extension of up to 6 months covers obligations by the contractor for completion of work, extension of concession period in Public Private Partnership contracts or any intermediate milestones.

The government agencies have been directed to partially release bank guarantees. This will be done to the extent contracts are partially complete, with an aim to ease the cash flows.

Indian Railways passengers take note! With Indian Railways resuming partial passenger train services amid lockdown, Piyush Goyal chaired Railway Ministry has made it “mandatory” for passengers to download the Aarogya Setu mobile app in their mobile phones. From today, as many as 15 passenger train services have been started, with the special trains departing from the New Delhi railway station (NDLS). With passengers travelling during the lockdown period, Piyush Goyal chaired Railway Ministry is ensuring suitable measures to prevent the deadly COVID-19 infection from spreading. The ministry in a tweet stated that it is mandatory for passengers to download Aarogya Setu mobile application in their phones, before commencing their train journey.

With Aarogya Setu mobile app, the Modi government aims to keep everyone safe and alert about COVID-19 pandemic. The mobile app connects essential health services with the public in the government’s combined fight against novel coronavirus outbreak. The Aarogya Setu mobile app tracks a person’s interaction with someone who could have tested positive of novel coronavirus through a Bluetooth and GPS generated social graph. With this app, a person is alerted if they are in close proximity to a COVID-19 positive patient. Moreover, the app also gives instructions on how to self-isolate as well as what to do if someone develops coronavirus symptoms.

To get alerts on COVID-19, a person needs to install the Aarogya Setu mobile application on his/her mobile phone. After installing the app, switch on Bluetooth and GPS. Then, set the location sharing to ‘Always’.

From today, the 15 special trains will run to various destinations across the country including Mumbai Central, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ranchi, Patna, Agartala, Jammu Tawi, Howrah, Ahmedabad, Bilaspur, Thiruvananthapuram, Dibrugarh, and Madgaon. However, the tickets for these special passenger train services can be booked only through the official IRCTC web portal or through the IRCTC mobile app.