Train Bookings Open; How To Book? Changes In Rules Amid COVID-19 Explained

On Sunday, the Indian Railways said that it plans to gradually resume train service for passengers from 12 May, starting with 15 pairs of trains (30 return journeys) that will be run as special trains from New Delhi to different parts of the country.

These special trains starting 12 May will connect to:

• Dibrugarh
• Agartala
• Howrah
• Patna
• Bilaspur
• Ranchi
• Bhubaneswar
• Secunderabad
• Bengaluru
• Chennai
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Madgaon
• Mumbai Central
• Ahmedabad
• Jammu Tawi

Train Schedule

1. Howrah to New Delhi (Daily) via Asansol Jn, Dhanbad Jn, Gaya Jn, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Prayagraj Jn.,Kanpur Central (Starting date: 12.05.2020)
2. New Delhi to Howrah (Daily) via Asansol Jn, Dhanbad Jn, Gaya Jn, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Prayagraj Jn.,Kanpur Central (Starting date: 13.05.2020)
3. Rajendra Nagar to New Delhi (Daily) via Patna Jn, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Prayagraj Jn., Kanpur Central (Starting date - 12.05.2020)
4. New Delhi to Rajendra Nagar (Daily) via Patna Jn, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Prayagraj Jn., Kanpur Central (Starting date - 13.05.2020)
5. Dibrugarh to New Delhi (Daily) via Dimapur, Lumding Jn, Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Mariani, New Jalpaiguri, Katihar Jn, Barauni Jn, Danapur, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Prayagraj Jn., Kanpur Central (Starting date - 14.05.2020)
6. New Delhi to Dibrugarh (Daily) via Dimapur, Lumding Jn, Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Mariani, New Jalpaiguri, Katihar Jn, Barauni Jn, Danapur, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Prayagraj Jn., Kanpur Central (Starting date - 12.05.2020)
7. New Delhi to Jammu Tawi (Daily) via Ludhiana (Starting date - 13.05.2020)
8. Jammu Tawi to New Delhi (Daily) via Ludhiana (Starting date - 14.05.2020)
9. Bengaluru to New Delhi (Daily) via Anantapur, Guntakal Jn, Secunderabad Jn, Nagpur, Bhopal Jn, Jhansi Jn, (Starting date - 12.05.2020)
10. New Delhi to Bengaluru (Daily) via Anantapur, Guntakal Jn, Secunderabad Jn, Nagpur, Bhopal Jn, Jhansi Jn, (Starting date - 12.05.2020)
11. Thiruvananthapuram to New Delhi via (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) Ernakulam Jn, , Kozhikkode, Mangalore, Madgaon, Panvel, Vadodara, Kota (Starting date - 15.05.2020)
12. New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram (Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday) via Ernakulam Jn, , Kozhikkode, Mangalore, Madgaon, Panvel, Vadodara, Kota (Starting date - 13.05.2020)
13. Chennai Central to New Delhi via Vijayawada, (F, Sat) Warangal, Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi, Agra (Starting date- 15.05.2020)
14. New Delhi to Chennai Central (W, F) via Vijayawada, Warangal, Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi, Agra (Starting date- 13.05.2020)
15. Bilaspur to New Delhi via (M, Thu) Raipur Jn, Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi (Starting date: 14.05.2020)
16. New Delhi to Bilaspur (Tue, Sat) via Raipur Jn, Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi, (Starting date: 12.05.2020)
17. Ranchi to New Delhi (Th, Su) via Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur Central (Starting date:14.05.2020)
18. New Delhi to Ranchi (Wed, Sat) (Starting date:13.05.2020)
19. Mumbai Central to New Delhi (Daily) via Surat, Vadodra, Ratlam, Kota (Starting date:12.05.2020)
20. New Delhi to Mumbai Central (Daily) (Starting date:13.05.2020)
21. Ahmedabad to New Delhi (Daily) via Palanpur, Abu Road, Jaipur, Gurgaon, (Starting date:12.05.2020)
22. New Delhi to Ahmedabad (Daily) (Starting date:13.05.2020)
23. Agartala to New Delhi via (M, Wed) Badarpur Jn, Guwahati, Kokrajhar,New Jalpaiguri, Katihar Jn, Barauni Jn,Patliputra, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur Central (Starting date:18.05.2020)
24. New Delhi to Agartala via (Wednesday) M Badarpur Jn, Guwahati, Kokrajhar, New Jalpaiguri, Katihar Jn, Barauni Jn, Patliputra, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur Central (Starting date: 20.05.2020)
25. Bhubneshwar to New Delhi (Daily) via Balasor, Hijli (Kharagpur), Tatanagar, Bokaro Stl City, Gaya, Pt. Dd Upadhyaya Jn, Kanpur Central (Starting date:13.05.2020)
26. New Delhi to Bhubneshwar (Daily) (Starting date:14.05.2020)
27. New Delhi Madgaon (Fri, Sat), Ratnagiri, Panvel, Surat, Vadodara Jn, Kota Jn (Starting date:15.05.2020)
28. Madgaon to New Delhi (Mon, Sun) (Starting date: 17.05.2020)
29. Secunderabad to New Delhi (Wednesday) via Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi (Starting date: 20.05.2020)
30. New Delhi to Secunderabad (Sunday) via Nagpur, Bhopal, Jhansi (Starting date:17.05.2020)

How to book tickets?

Online reservations will start at 6 pm on 11 May and will be only available on IRCTC website, the Railway Ministry said in a statement. Book your tickets on www.irctc.co.in.

Rules for railway ticket bookings:

• No booking counters at railway stations will be open, even for booking platform tickets.
• Advance reservation booking allowed for a maximum of 7 days ahead of the travel date.
• No RAC, waiting list ticket.
• Onboard booking by ticket checking staff will not be permitted.
• All passenger trains will be run with AC coaches only.
• These trains will stop at major railway stations only.
• The fare for these special trains will be equivalent to the ticket fare of Rajdhani trains.
• No catering charges shall be included in the train fare. Provision for pre-paid meal booking, e-catering shall be disabled.
• Online cancellation shall be permitted up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
• Cancellation charge has been fixed at 50 percent of the fare.

Rules for passengers

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs issued standard operating procedure (SOP) on Monday:

• Only passengers with valid confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the railway stations.
• Passengers should arrive at the station at least 90 minutes in advance to facilitate thermal screening.
• The driver of the vehicle transporting the passenger(s) to and fro the railway station shall be allowed inside the railway station premises based on the confirmation of the e-ticket.
• Passengers with a confirmed Indian Railways e-ticket will not be required to show any e-pass for movement.
• It will be mandatory for passengers to wear face masks and maintain distance from others at the railway station and while travelling.
• All passengers will have to undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train.
• All passengers shall be provided hand sanitiser at stations and in coaches.
• Passengers are encouraged to carry own linen, food, drinking water.
• Dry and ready-to-eat food, bottled water to be provided inside the train on payment.
• All passengers advised to download and use the Aarogya Setu App on their phones.
• No stalls/ booths on the platforms shall be opened. Train side vending would not be permitted.
• On arrival at their destination, the travelling passengers will have to adhere to such health protocols as are prescribed by the destination state or union territory.

When will more trains restart?

The Ministry of Railways said that it will "start more special services on new routes, based on the available coaches after reserving 20,000 coaches for COVID-19 care centres and an adequate number of coaches being reserved to enable operation of up to 300 trains every day as 'Shramik Special' for stranded migrants."

The department has operated 366 "Shramik Special" trains since 1 May and carried over four lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country amid the nation-wide lockdown.

Meanwhile, the government has identified 215 railway stations for the deployment of railways' isolation coaches to be used as 'COVID Care Centres' for suspected or confirmed patients categorised as mild or very mild cases.

These stations will be deployed across 23 states and Union Territories, a health ministry document has stated.

The patients lodged in the coaches will be observed for their symptoms and clinical condition.