New Delhi: Months after two waves of Covid-19 have passed in the country, the country is largely back on track. Indian Railways, which is operating with many changes during this lockdown, is also trying to normalize its functioning. Under this, the Railways is going to implement many new changes in the next few days. If you also travel by railway, then you should be aware of these changes. It has been said from the Railways that it is making changes in many services in a phased manner to bring its services to the pre-Covid condition.
So let’s take a look at what are the new things related to railways, which we will see in the coming few days.
From 14 to 21 November there will be problem in many services including ticket booking
From November 14 to November 21, the Railway Passenger Reservation System (PRS) service of the Railways will be closed for six hours every day. Railways has said that the PRS service is going to be affected as part of efforts to normalize services and return to pre-Covid-19 in a phased manner. Railways is taking this step for the updation of railway system data, new train numbers and other works.
This work will start from the intervening night of 14 and 15 November and will continue till the night of 20 and 21 November. Work will be done on it every day starting from 23.30 pm to 5.30 am. During these six hours, no Passenger Reservation System (PRS) services like ticket reservation, current booking, cancellation, inquiry services will be available. Except PRS services, all other inquiry services including 139 services will continue uninterrupted.
‘Special’ trains will not run
During the lockdown, many big trains were renamed as special trains. But it will no longer be so. Railways has ordered to rename these trains as before. The Indian Railways on Friday issued an order to discontinue the ‘special’ tag for mail and express trains. The Railway Board has said in its recent order that in view of Covid-19, all regular mail/express trains are being run as MSPC (Mail/Express Special) and HSP (Holiday Special). It has now been decided that MSPC and HSP train services including those included in the Working Time Table, 2021 will run with regular numbers.
Passenger ticket prices will come down
Under the new changes of the railways, it is believed that there will be a fall in the passenger ticket as well. In fact, the Railway Board itself has also said in its order that the prices of train tickets should be brought back to the pre-epidemic ticket rate with immediate effect. Last week, the Railway Board, in a letter to the zonal railways, said that the trains would now run with their regular numbers and the fare would be as normal as the pre-Covid rate.
Let us inform here that due to the lockdown, the Railways is running only special trains. The railways initially started with long distance trains, but later to ‘discourage people from avoidable travel’, it is being run as special trains by making short distance passenger services ‘slightly higher fare’. Is. But after the removal of the special tag of the Railways, there is a possibility of reduction in the fares of such trains.
1,700 trains will be restored
A railway official recently told that more than 1,700 trains will be restored in the next few days. The first digit of the train number will not be zero as in the case of special trains. However, the restrictions imposed in view of Covid will remain in effect, such as temporary restrictions on relaxation, bed rolls and food service etc. will continue.
Certified vegetarian food will be available from IRCTC kitchens
IRCTC on Monday joined hands with the Sattvik Parishad of India (SCI) to certify the process of cooking, transporting and storing vegetarian food for trains going to shrines. IRCTC has invited third party audit of its basic kitchens to ensure a vegetarian environment in cooking such food there. It has been started with Vande Bharat Express running between Delhi and Katra and later it will be implemented in 18 other trains. This service is starting especially for trains with shrines.