Mumbai local trains allowed from Aug 15: 5-step guide on availing the facility

Mumbai local train services will start from August 15 for people who have taken both the doses of Covid-19 vaccine, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on Sunday. Local train operations were shut down in April this year during the ravaging second wave of Covid-19.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on Sunday that fully vaccinated citizens of Mumbai can travel in local trains from August 15. Another condition that the chief minister said is mandatory is a gap of 14 days from the second dose of Covid-19.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced guidelines to be followed for travelling in the local trains in Mumbai. (PTI File Photo)

The announcement is sure to bring cheer on the faces of commuters who use the local trains extensively. In fact, they are considered the lifeline of Mumbai.

The suburban train services in the metropolis were suspended for general public in April this year when the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak in the state.

At present, only government employees and essential services staffers are allowed to travel in local trains.

Here are the steps to be followed and things to keep in mind befor boarding local trains:

• The Maharashtra government has created special railway passes for travelling in the local trains.
• Those who are fully vaccinated and have completed 14-day period after their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine can apply on a specially-created app to get special railway passes on their smartphones.
• Those who do not have smartphones, can obtain the pass offline, according to announcement made by Thackeray. These passes can be collected from the local ward offices.
• These passes will have QR codes so that the railway administration can verify their authenticity.
• The chief minister urged the people of Mumbai to not allow anyone to obtain passes illegally.