Indian Railways has taken the decision of restoring 100 pairs of passenger train services from 1st June, 2020 in consultation with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Home Affairs. Out of the 100 pairs of train services, Western Railway will be running 17 pairs to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad with other parts of the country.
These trains will be Mail/Express and Janshatabdi type of trains. The Indian Railways has also given certain guidelines for the train services beginning from 1st June, 2020.
The list of the 17 pairs of train services from Western Railway are as follows:
| List of Mail/Express Trains | ||||
| S. No. | Train No. | From | To | Train Name |
| 1. | 02933/02934 | Mumbai Central | Ahmedabad | Karnavati Express |
| 2. | 02955/02956 | Mumbai Central | Jaipur | MMCT Jaipur Express |
| 3. | 02903/02904 | Mumbai Central | Amritsar | Golden Temple Mail |
| 4. | 02479/02478 | Bandra Terminus | Jodhpur | Suryanagri Express |
| 5. | 02925/02926 | Bandra Terminus | Amritsar | Paschim Express |
| 6. | 09041/09042 | Bandra Terminus | Ghazipur | BDTS Ghazipur Express |
| 7. | 09045/09046 | Surat | Chhapra | Tapti Ganga Express |
| 8. | 02833/02834 | Ahmedabad | Howrah | ADI Howrah Express |
| 9. | 09165/09166 | Ahmedabad | Darbhanga | Sabarmati Express |
| 10. | 09167/09168 | Ahmedabad | Varanasi | Sabarmati Express |
| 11. | 02947/02948 | Ahmedabad | Patna | Azimabad Express |
| 12. | 02915/02916 | Ahmedabad | Delhi | Ashram Express |
| 13. | Special Train | Ahmedabad | Muzaffarpur | Via Surat |
| 14. | Special Train | Ahmedabad | Gorakhpur | Via Surat |
| S. No. | Train No. | From | To | Train Name |
| 15. | 09037/09038 | Bandra Terminus | Gorakhpur | Avadh Express |
| 16. | 09039/09040 | Bandra Terminus | Muzaffarpur | Avadh Express |
| 17. | 02917/02918 | Ahmedabad | H. Nizamuddin | Gujarat Sampark Kranti |
These trains will run from 1st June, 2020 and the booking of all these trains has been commenced from 21st May, 2020. These special train services are in addition to the existing Shramik Special (being run since 1st May, 2020) and the 30 Special AC trains (being run since 12th May, 2020).
Other regular Passenger services including all Mail/Express, Passenger and Suburban train services will remain cancelled until further advice.
These new services will be fully reserved trains having both AC and Non AC classes. General Coaches will also have reserved seat for sitting. There will be NO unreserved Coach in the trains. The fare for these trains will be as normal and for General coaches, being reserved, Second Seating fare shall be charged and the seat will be provided to all the passengers.
The various guidelines for travelling in these restored train services are as below:
Booking of Tickets & Charting:
1. Only online e-ticketing will be done through the IRCTC website or through its mobile app. No tickets to be booked across PRS counters on any railway station.
2. The ARP (Advance Reservation Period) shall be maximum 30 days.
3. RAC and Wait List will be generated as per extant rules, however waitlist ticket holders will not be permitted to board the train.
4. No UTS tickets will be issued. No tatkal & premium tatkal booking shall be permitted.
5. First chart to be prepared at least 4 hours before scheduled departure and second chart will be prepared at least 2 hours before scheduled departure. Only online current booking shall be permitted in between first and second chart preparation.
6. Only passengers with Confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the railway station.
7. All passengers will be compulsorily thermal screened and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to enter/board the train.
8. All passengers must wear face covers/masks at entry and during travel.
9. All passengers should reach station at least 90 mins. in advance to facilitate thermal screening at station.
10. All passengers should observe social distancing both at station & on trains.
11. On arrival at destination, passengers must adhere to health protocols as prescribed by the destination state/UT.
Quota Permitted:
1. All quotas shall be permitted in these special trains as has been permitted in regular trains.
2. Only four categories of Divyangjan concession and 11 categories of patient concessions will be permitted in these trains.
3. Cancellation and Refund rules shall be applicable.
As per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, all passengers are to be compulsorily thermal screened and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to enter/board the train. If during the screening, a passenger is found to have very high temperature or symptoms of COVID-19, etc., he/she shall not be allowed to travel despite having confirmed tickets. In such case, full refund shall be provided to the passenger as under:
a) On PNR having a single passenger.
b) On a party ticket, if one passenger is found unfit to travel and also all other passengers on the same PNR do not want to travel, in that case full refund shall be granted for all passengers.
c) On a party ticket, if one passenger is found unfit to travel, however other passengers on the PNR want to travel, in that case full refund shall be granted to the passenger who was not allowed to travel.
For all the above cases, TTE certificates shall be issued to the passenger at the entry /checking/ screening point itself mentioning “Number of Passengers not travelled due to symptoms of COVID-19 in one or more passengers“. After getting TTE certificates, online TDR shall be filed for refund of not travelled passengers, within 10 days from the date of journey and the original TTE certificate issued shall be sent by the passenger to IRCTC as per extant provision and full fare for the part passenger/full who have not travelled shall be refunded by IRCTC in the customer’s account.
Catering:
1. No catering charges shall be included in the fare.
2. Provision for pre-paid meal booking, e-catering shall be disabled.
3. However, IRCTC shall make provision for limited eatables and packaged drinking water on payment basis only in limited trains having Pantry Car attached. Information regarding this will be made available to passengers during the time of booking ticket.
4. Passengers are encouraged to carry their own food and drinking water.
5. All static catering & vending units (Multipurpose stalls, Bookstalls, Misc./Chemist stalls, etc.) at railway stations will remain open.
6. Only take away cooked items will be served at Food Plaza and Refreshment rooms, etc.
Linen and Blanket:
1. No linen, blanket and curtains shall be provided inside the train.
2. Passengers are advised to carry their own linen for travel.
3. Temperature inside AC coaches shall be suitably regulated for this purpose.
There will be separate entry and exit gates at Railway stations to the extent feasible so that there is no face to face movement of passengers. The Railway will be guided by standard social distancing guidelines on stations and trains and observe the safety, security and hygiene protocols. All passengers must download and use the Aarogya Setu application. Passengers are advised to travel light. As per MHA guidelines the movement of the passenger(s), as well as the driver of the vehicle transporting the passenger(s) to and fro the Railway Station, shall be allowed on the basis of the confirmed e-ticket.
