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Coronavirus update: Railways extends suspension of passenger services till May 3
Covid-19 update: Movement of goods and parcel trains will continue to ensure the essential supplies in various parts of the country, it said. The railways said all passenger ticket bookings will also be cancelled.
Indian Railways said on Tuesday its passenger services will remain suspended till May 3, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the country will continue to remain under strict restrictions to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
“In continuation of the measures taken in the wake of COVID-19 Lockdown, it has been decided that all passenger train services on Indian Railways including Premium trains, Mail/Express trains, Passenger trains, Suburban Trains, Kolkata Metro Rail, Konkan Railway etc shall continue to remain cancel till the 2400hrs of 3rd May 2020,” the railways said in a release.
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Movement of goods and parcel trains will continue to ensure the essential supplies in various parts of the country, it said.
The railways said all passenger ticket bookings will also be cancelled.
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“All counters for booking of rail journey tickets for reserved/unreserved travel at railway stations and outside railway station premises shall remain closed upto 2400 hrs of 3rd May 2020,” it said.
HT had reported on Friday that the government is considering dividing the country into a red zone in which no transport will immediately be allowed, a yellow zone where restricted services will resume and a green zone where transport will be allowed free movement.
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Once restrictions are lifted, the national carrier is planning to ensure strict social distancing norms in trains, which includes mandatory thermal screening and no allotment of middle berth in the sleeper category.
All passenger transport had been suspended for the three-week-long lockdown period that began on March 25.
