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Train booking, cancellation to remain shut for 6 hour-duration for next 7 days. Check details
The six-hour duration will be used to upgrade the system data with new train numbers and other relevant items to revert back in a phased manner to the post-Covid levels of services as announced by the ministry on Friday.
The Railways Passenger Reservation System (PRS) will be shut for six hours during the “lean business” hours of the night for the next seven days, the ministry of railways announced on Sunday. The six-hour duration will be used to upgrade the system data with new train numbers and other relevant items in a bid to normalise passengers services and revert back in a phased manner to the post-Covid levels of services as announced by the ministry earlier.
“As part of Railways’ efforts to normalize passenger services and revert back in a phased manner to the pre-covid levels of service, the Railways Passenger Reservation System ( PRS) will be shut down for 6:00 hours during the lean business hours of the night for next 7 days,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry has decided to discontinue Covid-19 special trains and restore the number, fare and categorisation of regular timetabled trains which are presently operating as Mail/Express Special and Holiday Special due to the pandemic. The Railway Board has also requested CRIS to make necessary changes in the software for train bookings and other railways-related services.
Railways to discontinue special trains, revert to certain pre-Covid-19 fares
As an enormous amount of data pertaining to current passenger booking and old train numbers are to be updated for all Mail/Express trains, the Railways has planned a series of “carefully calibrated steps” to discontinue Covid special trains. The data will be updated during the night hours in order to minimise the impact on ticketing services.
The 6-hour activity will be performed starting at 11:30pm on November 14 and ending at 5.30am on November 15. It will end with the last scheduled activity on the intervening night of November 20 and 21. During the six-hours duration, no PRS Services including ticket reservation, current booking, cancellation, enquiry services will be available.
“During the period railway personnel will ensure the advance charting for the trains to start during the affected timings. Except for the PRS services, all other enquiry services including 139 services will continue uninterrupted,” the ministry said.
