No Middle Berth, Bedroll, Food In Trains Post #Lockdown; Will Trains Start From April 15th?

Indian Railways thinktank is right now working hard to formulate a plan for running trains, once the lockdown ends.

As per reports, there can be some drastic measures to enforce social distancing and hygiene among passengers.

Meanwhile, the big question: Will trains run from April 15th, when the lockdown ends?

Post-Lockdown Plans From Indian Railways

As per reports coming in, Indian Railways can stop allocating middle berths to passengers, once trains start running post lockdown.

This will ensure that social distancing is maintained among passengers, and risk of infections are low.

Besides, no linen will be provided inside train, which means that bedrolls for AC Class passengers will be stopped. Hence, passengers can be asked to bring their own bedsheets and blankets for the journey.

And, also, food distribution and supply for passengers can be also stopped, to prevent infections.

Earlier, we had reported that Railways can make it mandatory for all passengers to wear masks inside the trains, post-lockdown.

No official statement has been released by Indian Railways regarding these measures, but speculations are high that once trains start running, these measures will be implemented.

And these are excellent steps indeed.

Indian Railways: No Confirmation About Trains Starting From April 15h

Officially, the lockdown imposed by PM Modi to stop coronavirus spread in India will end on April 14th.

Hence, speculations were rife that Indian Railways can restart train bookings from April 15th. We even checked IRCTC App, and found that passengers can indeed book tickets for dates after April 15th.

However, Indian Railways has now clarified that its not confirmed yet, whether trains will run from April 15th or not.

Infact, as per Railways, ticket bookings for post-April 15th trains had already started even before the lockdown was announced. Three months advance ticket bookings are anyways allowed.

This is the reason that the bookings for April 15th onwards were still visible on the IRCTC app and website.

Quoting Financial Express: “To put it clearly – no decision has been made on when passenger train services will be resumed on the Indian Railways network! The Railway Ministry further stated that as and when the decision for restarting passenger trains will be taken, all stakeholders will be informed.”

We will keep you keep you updated, as more details come in.