india

Updated: Apr 04, 2020 23:10 IST

The Indian Railways has begun preparing plans to resume passenger and mail express train services after the 21-day lockdown period, according to documents reviewed by Hindustan Times.

Directions have been issued to zones to prepare restoration plans from April 15. Following the orders, chief booking supervisors, commissioner of railway safety, chief ticket inspectors and other officials have been told to deploy staff on duty, according to officials aware of the development.

“Train services will have to be resumed only on specific approval of each train from Railway Board. Suggestions for phase wise planning should be given to Railway Board,” according to minutes of the review meeting held by the Union railway minister Piyush Goyal and the chairman railway board.

The ministry of railways however denied the development and issued a clarification saying,” certain media reports have come on a post lockdown “restoration plan” with train details, frequency etc. It is to clarify that no such plan regarding the resumption of passenger services has been issued. All concerned would be duly informed about any further decision in this regard.”

According to the plan for Northern Railways, nearly 240 trains have been planned keeping in mind all rakes will reach their primary maintenance depot before April 15.

This also comes a day after national carrier Air India decided to stop flight bookings till April 30. “There may be a plan to begin operations of passenger transportation phase wise. Details are being worked out in coordination with states,” a senior government official said requesting anonymity.

Passenger train services have been suspended since ‘Janta Curfew’ on March 22. The Centre later extended the suspension till March 31 and further till April 15 for the three-week country-wide lockdown.

Advance booking for trains from April 15 onward is also operational on the Indian Railways’ subsidiary India Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation portal.The national carrier has however clarified that reservation for journeys post April 14 was never stopped and is not related to any new announcement.

The national carrier, which operates as many as 13,523 passenger trains per day has only been operating freight and special parcel trains to ensure supply of essential commodities. Since the lockdown from March 24, the national carrier has supplied 4 lakh wagons to keep supply chain functional. “Of these, more than 2.23 lakh wagons carried essential commodities like food grains, salt, sugar, milk, edible oil, onions, fruits & vegetables, petroleum products, coal, fertilizers etc. throughout the country,” the ministry of railways said.