The movement of trains would be allowed in a graded manner by Railways. (Representational)
Highlights
- Only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to board
- Train riders have to follow social distancing and keep their masks on
- Movement of trains would be allowed in a graded manner by Railways
When train services restart today for limited operations, passengers have to be at the station 90 minutes in advance and entry will be stopped 15 minutes before the trains leave. The passengers will be screened before they enter the station and only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to board, according to SOPs put out by the home ministry on Monday.
The special trains will have only air-conditioned. No linen, blankets or curtains will be given, so people have to bring their own sheets, the railways said.
Tickets cannot be cancelled at less than 24 hours' notice and the cancellation charge will be half the fare. Passengers are to install the COVID-19 tracker app Aarogya Setu on their mobile phones.
Passengers have also been asked to travel with light luggage, said senior Railways officer Arun Kumar. They have to follow social distancing and keep their masks on throughout the journey.
On Sunday, the government announced that trains will gradually restart operations and some 30 train journeys - 15 pairs of return trips - would run from Delhi to other cities including Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.
The movement of trains would be allowed in a graded manner by Railways, in consultation with the home and health ministries.
Tickets can only be booked online; the process started on Monday.
Only passengers with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the station. The e-ticket would also be the basis for the movement of drivers who take the passengers to and from the station.
The rules also say once they arrive at their destination, they have to follow the health protocols of the state.
The train network, which had carried more than 20 million passengers daily, was stopped when Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a strict lockdown in late March to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Recently, special trains were allowed to take migrants, students and others stranded by the lockdown to their home states.
More trains have been allowed amid demands for a gradual exit from the 54-day lockdown to facilitate a phased re-opening of the economy.