Coronavirus Lockdown: SOPs For Passengers As Limited Train Services Start Tomorrow

The movement of trains would be allowed in a graded manner by Railways. (Representational)

When train services restart tomorrow for limited operations, passengers will need to be at the station 90 minutes in advance and entry will be stopped 15 minutes before the trains leave. The passengers will be screened before they enter the station and only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to board, the government said today.

Passengers have also been asked to travel with light luggage, said senior Railways officer Arun Kumar. They have to follow social distancing and keep their masks on throughout the journey, according to SOPs put out by the home ministry.

On Sunday, the government announced that trains will gradually restart operations and some 30 train journeys - 15 pairs of return trips - would run from Delhi to other cities including Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

The movement of trains would be allowed in a graded manner by Railways, in consultation with the home and health ministries.

Tickets can only be booked online; the process starts today.

Only passengers with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the station. The e-ticket would also be the basis for the movement of drivers who take the passengers to and from the station.

The rules also say once they arrive at their destination, they have to follow the health protocols of the state.

All trains will run with AC coaches only and will have limited stops.

The train network, which had carried more than 20 million passengers daily, was stopped when Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a strict lockdown in late March to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Recently, special trains were allowed to take migrants, students and others stranded by the lockdown to their home states.

More trains have been allowed amid demands for a gradual exit from the 54-day lockdown to facilitate a phased re-opening of the economy.