Railways to charge for tickets on special trains to ferry migrant workers home

The fare includes price of regular sleeper class tickets plus superfast charges of Rs 30 and an additional charge of Rs 20. This will include meals and drinking water for long distance trains.

The railways on Friday said it will charge for tickets on the special trains being run to ferry students, migrant workers home.

The fare includes price of regular sleeper class tickets plus superfast charges of Rs 30 and an additional charge of Rs 20. This will include meals and drinking water for long distance trains.

However, the state governments can pay on passenger’s behalf, said the railways ministry.

“Passengers need not buy anything from the railways. State governments will coordinate and pay on their behalf,” the railways said.

Thousands of migrants were stranded in places across the country since the lockdown was enforced on March 25, many even attempting to walk home hundreds of kilometres away.

The railways also clarified that these are special trains planned for nominated people identified and registered by state governments.

“No one under any circumstance should come to Railway station looking for trains. We will not issue any tickets to any individual or entertain any request from any group or individual. We will allow only those passengers to board whom state government officials will bring to railway stations.

“State government is the final authority to decide that who will travel in our trains,” a railways spokesperson said.

Earlier today, the home ministry, after persistent requests from the states, allowed the railways to run special trains to bring home students and migrant workers stuck across the country due to the nationwide lockdown in place.

These special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State governments for sending and receiving such stranded persons.

The first such service was run with 1,200 passengers from Hyderabad to Jharkhand at 4:50 am on Friday.

The passengers will be screened by the sending states and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to travel.

It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear masks. Meals and drinking water would be provided to the passengers by the sending states at the originating station.