IRCTC To Resume Services With 8 Trains Today, Books Tickets For Over 54,000 Passengers In 3 Hours | Check List Of Trains Running Today

The Indian Railways resumes train services from today after almost two months of lockdown. Tickets for 54,000 passengers were booked within 3 hours.

(Photo by NARINDER NANU / AFP)

IRCTC resumes services: The Indian Railways have restarted train services from today after almost two months of lockdown. There will be a pair of 15 special AC trains that will run from New Delhi to different cities and bookings for the special trains started yesterday. Though the time for ticket sale was given as 4 PM it was postponed to 6 PM after the IRCTC site crashed. Within three hours, the Railways had done bookings for 54,000 passengers. "By 9.15 PM, approximately 30,000 PNRs had been generated and reservations were issued to more than 54,000 passengers," Indian Railways said in a statement. At present, the Railways has brought out the timetable for trains to be run between May 12 and May 20. Different Railway zones have also been directed to ensure that there are separate entry and exit gates at stations so that there no face-to-face movement of passengers. Here is the timing of the eight trains running today

• Howrah - New Delhi - 5:05 pm
• Rajendra Nagar (Patna) - New Delhi- 7:20 pm
• New Delhi - Dibrugarh - 4:45 pm
• Bengaluru - New Delhi - 8:30 pm
• New Delhi - Bengaluru-9:15 pm
• New Delhi - Bilaspur- 4:00 pm
• Mumbai Central - New Delhi- 5:30 pm
• Ahmedabad - New Delhi- 6:20 pm

If you plan to travel on these special trains then here are some things to know:

• Tickets can be booked up to seven days in advance. No RAC and waitlist ticket is allowed. Onboard booking by ticket checking staff will not be permitted.
• The Railways has decided to open ‘bare minimum’ ticket counters across the country. These will be only for High Official Requisition (HOR), sitting and former MP, MLAs or MLCs, and freedom fighters. It can also be used for or fully reimbursable warrants or vouchers, tickets on free privilege passes, and also issue cards or duty pass to railway employees. The counters will be opened at stations from where the trains will originate, terminate, or have stoppages enroute.
• Tickets for the general category can only be issued through the official website https://www.irctc.co.in/.
• No catering charges shall be included in the train fare and provision for pre-paid meal booking, e-catering will be disabled.
• Cancellation of tickets will not be permitted for less than 24 hours before departure of the train. The cancellation charge shall be 50 percent of the total fare.
• Concession in train fare will only be provided to patients, students, and people with disabilities. Even senior citizens will not be eligible for getting concessions on these special trains.
• Passengers will have to carry their own bed linen and food on the train. Dry, ready-to-eat food, and bottled water shall be provided on demand inside the trains on a payment basis.
• It is mandatory for passengers to wear protective gear such as a face mask.
• Passengers will also need to arrive 90 minutes prior to departure of train for thermal screening. Only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train.
• Only passengers with a valid, confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter railway stations.
• Out of the 30 trains that will be functional, 16 are daily, 8 bi-weekly, two thrice a week and four weekly. The Railways have also given the route and timings of the trains.

Also Watch: (With inputs from agencies)