The fare structure of the special trains will be as applicable for the regular time tabled Rajdhani Express train services or as per the regular time tabled train category notified by the coaching directorate.

Indian Railways passengers note! No pre-paid food, no blankets on special passenger trains! Amid nationwide lockdown due to novel coronavirus pandemic, Indian Railways has decided to run special passenger train services! According to a statement issued by the Railway Board, the fare structure of the special trains will be as applicable for the regular time tabled Rajdhani Express train services or as per the regular time tabled train category notified by the coaching directorate. These trains will start operations from 12 May 2020 from NDLS to various places such as Bilaspur, Secunderabad, Madgaon, Ahmedabad, Jammu Tawi, Howrah, Chennai, Patna, Dibrugarh, Mumbai Central, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Agartala, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar. Here, take a look at the catering and linen rules for these special trains as listed by the Railway Board in a circular accessed by Financial Express Online.

Will passengers get IRCTC pre-booked food on-board the special passenger trains?

According to the national transporter, no catering charges will be included in the fare. Also, provision for booking of pre-paid meals or food items will be disabled. However, the official catering arm of Indian Railways, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) can make provision for limited eatables as well as packaged drinking water on a payment basis, it stated. Passengers will be provided will all the related information during the time of ticket booking.

The Railway Board has stated that the tickets for these special train services can only be booked online via the official IRCTC website (irctc.co.in) or through the IRCTC mobile application. The counter ticket operations at railway stations across the nation will continue to remain shut. Apart from this, passengers will now be able to book tickets for these special train services through authorized agents of IRCTC or Indian Railways. As per the cancellation policy, the cancellation for these special trains will be allowed up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. The cancellation charge will be 50% of the ticket fare.

The isolation ward train services, on request from state governments, will be deployed at the railway stations and linked to the nearest COVID-19 hospital, as per government guidelines.

Indian Railways stations identified for COVID-19 isolation coaches! Considering the possibility of a surge in the number of novel coronavirus cases, as many as 215 railway stations in 23 states and Union Territories have been identified by the government where trains with the new isolation coaches can be deployed. Spread across major hotspots, these Indian Railways stations are located in green zones as well as orange zones, according to an IE report. The isolation ward train services, on request from state governments, will be deployed at the railway stations and linked to the nearest COVID-19 hospital, as per government guidelines.

The guidelines recently issued by the Health Ministry stated that considering the possibility of an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, a view is taken to use Indian Railways coaches as novel coronavirus care centres. According to the guidelines, the train coaches will be used for cases that are suspected or confirmed and will be categorized into very mild and mild. The SOP stated that separate coaches will be utilized for suspected and confirmed cases. Also, patients may be given individual cabins and at the most, two patients may be accommodated in a cabin. A senior government official was quoted in the report saying that the railway stations have been identified in such a way that the trains can be used there and also the trains can remain on standby so that at the shortest possible time, they can reach any place.

The list has stations from all the major cities – Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai as well as major cities in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Tripura, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Karnataka.

There are 27 stations from Uttar Pradesh, 21 stations from Maharashtra, 18 stations from West Bengal, 15 stations from Bihar, 14 stations from Madhya Pradesh, 14 stations from Karnataka, 13 stations from Assam, 11 stations from Gujarat, 10 stations from Tamil Nadu, nine stations from Odisha, seven stations from Punjab, seven stations from Jharkhand, three stations from Kerala, two stations from Jammu and Kashmir and two stations from Telangana. According to the report, the railway stations have been identified after considering if allied facilities such as electricity and water to make these coaches functional, are available. In 85 of the railway stations, medical staff from railway hospitals will be deployed.

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue.

The state government concerned can also pay for the tickets, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

He said the Madhya Pradesh government is doing so and asked Rahul Gandhi to tell the Congress-ruled states to follow suit.

He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fare, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund.

“Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that ”No tickets to be sold at any station”. Railways has subsidised 85% & state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh’s BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit,” Patra tweeted.

The BJP leader further clarified that for each ”Shramik Express”, special trains being run for migrants, about 1,200 tickets to the destination are handed by the railways to the state government concerned.

State governments are supposed to clear the ticket price and hand over the tickets to workers, he said.

Seeking to corner the central government, the Congress on Monday said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a statement announced the party’s decision and said this would be the Congress’ humble contribution in standing shoulder to shoulder with these workers.

In a tweet, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards.

Mr Swamy, in a tweet, said, “Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement.”

Among many major renovation works that were conducted during the lockdown period, the national transporter has successfully completed the rehabilitation of a Brick Arch bridge in a record time of 36 hours.

Indian Railways renovates a century-old railway bridge in record time! Despite the country still under lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Indian Railways is utilizing this time to complete its repair and maintenance work. Among many major renovation works that were conducted during the lockdown period, the national transporter has successfully completed the rehabilitation of a Brick Arch bridge in a record time of 36 hours. This bridge was originally built in 1862. According to details shared by the Southern Railway Zone, the century-old railway bridge is located at Km 384/900-384/000 on downline between Anangur – Caveri railway stations (near Erode). The existing railway bridge, which falls under Salem Division, is of Brick Arch consisting of three spans of 9.15 metres.

According to Southern Railways, the existing railway bridge was proposed to be replaced with RCC segmental boxes comprising four spans of 6.6 metres wide. Initially, the rehabilitation work was planned to be carried out with two temporary girders of 60 feet with crib support in the centre.

However, keeping in view the operation of less train services during this nationwide lockdown period due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the national transporter decided to rebuild directly without temporary girder for a continuous 36 hours block. The rebuilding work of the railway bridge was taken up at 8.00 AM on 4 May 2020 and the work completed at 5.00 PM on 5 May 2020. During this period, all the train services dealt on the single line between 3 stations i.e. Sankaridurg to Erode, the zone stated.

Recently, the Railway Ministry issued a statement saying that during this lockdown period when all passenger train services are cancelled due to COVID-19, several long-pending repair and maintenance works like Yard remodeling, renewal of scissors crossover, repairs of bridges, rail tracks have been carried out by Indian Railways. Besides, many pre-monsoon works have also been conducted to prevent the disruption of train services during the rainy season.

Indian Railways is charging only a standard fare for this class from state governments which is just 15 per cent of the total cost incurred by the national transporter.

Indian Railways Shramik special trains: During the lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways is running Shramik special trains. These special trains are being run by the national transporter for stranded migrants, students, tourists and pilgrims, in coordination with the various state governments. According to Indian Railways, the fares for these trains will be collected from the state governments. Amidst criticism towards the Centre for not running special trains free of cost, here is what we know so far about who is paying the cost of running Shramik special trains:

1. An ANI report has quoted sources in the Railway Ministry as saying that 85% of the cost of running these trains is being borne by Indian Railways. Indian Railways is charging only a standard fare for this class from state governments which is just 15 per cent of the total cost incurred by the national transporter, the report said.

2. According to Indian Railways, these trains are running at much less than their capacity, with social distancing norms being maintained between the passengers. Indian Railways has also said that train tickets are not being sold to migrants and Indian Railways is only boarding passengers based on the lists provided by states.

Railway Ministry recently issued a statement stating that the national transporter is only accepting passengers ‘brought’ and ‘facilitated’ by the state governments. Therefore, no other group of travelers or individuals have been allowed to come to railway stations. It further said that besides, Shramik special trains, no other passenger train services including suburban train services are being operated.

3. The fare for these Shramik special trains will include charges for Sleeper Mail Express + Superfast train charge of Rs 30 + an additional charge of Rs 20. This includes drinking water as well as meals for long-distance trains.

4. An IE report has quoted the Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav as saying that the call to not run trains for free is a conscious one so that only those for whom travel is essential can take the train journeys.

5. A statement issued by the Railway Ministry reads that the sending state has to pay the consolidated fare to Indian Railways. The cost may be borne by the sending state, or taken from the passengers by the sending state, or after mutual consultation with the receiving state. Indian Railways is only issuing tickets to passengers decided by the sending state government, the statement says.

Meanwhile, according to a PTI report, payment for the Shramik Special trains that have run till now has been made by state governments, except Maharashtra.

The third phase of the lockdown (4 May to 17 May 2020) will see some considerable relaxations for those districts that have been declared as orange and green zones. But, there will be little or no movement in the red zones. However, irrespective of whatever zone a district falls under, the rail, air, metro as well as inter-state bus services will remain suspended till 17 May 2020.

These special trains are being operated to move migrant workers, students, pilgrims, tourists and other people who are stranded at different places due to the nationwide lockdown.

Indian Railways to run special trains from Labour Day! Based on the guidelines by Ministry of Home Affairs and as per the demands received from the various state governments, as many as six Shramik special trains are being operated today – Lingampalli to Hatia, Aluva to Bhubaneswar, Nasik to Lucknow, Nasik to Bhopal, Jaipur to Patna and Kota to Hatia special trains. Incidentally, May 1 is also Labour Day. According to a statement issued by the Railway Ministry, these special trains are being operated to move migrant workers, students, pilgrims, tourists and other people who are stranded at different places due to the nationwide lockdown implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As per the protocols for sending as well as receiving such stranded persons, these special train services will be operated by Indian Railways from point-to-point on the request of both the concerned state governments. Moreover, for coordination and smooth operation of these special trains, the national transporter and state governments have been asked to appoint senior officials as Nodal Officers.

Today, Indian Railways on the request of various state governments is running the following six Shramik Special trains:

1. Lingampalli to Hatia
2. Nasik to Bhopal
3. Jaipur to Patna
4. Nasik to Lucknow
5. Aluva to Bhubaneswar
6. Kota to Hatia

The states allowing stranded migrants and other people to leave will have to screen the passengers and only those would be allowed to travel who are found to be asymptomatic. By following social distancing norms as well as other precautions, the state governments will have to bring these people in batches that can be accommodated in the special train to the designated station in buses that are sanitized. Every passenger will have to wear face cover.

The passengers will be provided with meals and drinking water by the sending states at the originating railway station. During the journey, social distancing and hygiene will be ensured with the cooperation of railway passengers. Also, meals will be provided on longer routes, during the journey. The state government will receive the passengers on their arrival and will make arrangements for their screening, quarantine if required and further travel from the station.