Indian Railways cancel all regular train services till August 12

The Railway Board on Thursday said that all regular mail, express and passenger services as well as suburban trains have been cancelled till August 12, amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country.

The tickets, that have been booked for the regular time-tabled trains from July 1 to August 12, has also been cancelled. A full refund will be given to the passengers.

However, all special trains -- 15 pairs running on the Rajdhani routes since May 12 and 100 pairs operating since June 1 -- will continue, an official order said.

The order also said, "All tickets booked for the regular timetabled trains for journey date from 01.07.20 to 12.08.20 also stand cancelled. A full refund will be generated," the Railway Board order stated.

Earlier, the Railways had cancelled all trains till June 30.

The limited special suburban services which began recently in Mumbai to ferry essential services personnel identified by the local authorities will also continue to run, news agency PTI reported quoting officials.

In an official letter on May 13, instructions were issued for cancellation and full refunds of tickets booked in the regular timetabled trains 

As the cases continue to surge across the country, coronavirus essentials like masks, gloves, sanitisers, bedroll kits will now be sold at the multi-purpose stalls at railway platforms, reported news agency PTI quoting railway officials.

The stalls, run by private contractors, carry most items that travellers could require, like toiletries, books, medicines and packed eatables. The stalls will now also be able to sell essential items required to protect passengers from coronavirus infection, according to a set of instructions issued by the Railway Board.

"Mindful of the fact that passengers travelling during these times might need certain essential items which they would need to buy in case they forget to get it from home, we have directed our multipurpose stalls to sell them. However, we have said that they have to be sold at MRP and no profiteering will be allowed through it," said a senior railway official.

The official said bedroll kits, which are no longer provided onboard trains due to fear of the coronavirus spread, will also be available at these stalls. They will be sold as a kit -- with pillow, pillow covers, blankets, face towel -- as well as separately. "Since we have stopped giving these items because of the pandemic, passengers can buy either the entire kit or any item separately," the official said.

The order issued last week stated that the emphasis was on maintaining hygiene and fulfilling needs of the passengers. "These takeaway bedrolls and other protective items should be of good quality and not exceed the MRP," the official said, clarifying that the stall owners are not bound to sell these items manufacturing by the Railways.