States unlocked but rlys continue Covid spl trains, charge more

Nagpur: Almost all the states have unlocked after fall in Covid-19 cases but the Indian Railways still continues to operate mail/express trains as Covid specials, putting additional burden on passengers.
Several passenger welfare bodies and individuals have demanded to remove the special tag for the mail/express trains and operate them as regular trains. Even travel in most economical air-conditioned Nagpur-Pune Garib Rath (02113-02114) is coming at a cost.
“Though these passenger trains are being run as Covid specials, no social distancing or Covid protocol is being followed. Many passengers are not wearing masks and there is no sanitization in trains. In Garib Rath, even side middle berth is being allotted to passengers,” said Shenaz Pathan, an executive working in Pune.
“Travel in entire Garib Rath used to cost Rs850 earlier but now with a special tag, the fare comes to nearly Rs1,400. If the railways are really following the Covid protocol, why the side middle berth is not being disabled? It is already not giving blankets and bedsheets to passengers,” Pathan added.
Brij Bhushan Shukla of Rail Yatri Sangh (RYS) said, “The additional fare is basically to recover the losses when trains did not operate during the first wave and had limited operations during the second wave. But now when the entire country is unlocked, these trains should be regularized.”
Central Railway officials told TOI, “It is a policy decision by the Railway Board to run special trains. Any decision in this regard will be taken by the board. The fares of special trains are always on the upper side.”
Shukla added even passenger trains should be operated for the common man as private bus operators are charging through the nose. “For 1.5-hour travel to Seoni, I paid Rs400. It normally costs Rs150,” he said.
“When 90% of the passenger trains that were withheld during Covid have started operations, why not regularize them? The railways have withdrawn all concessions and while passengers are paying 25-30% additional fare, there is no improvement in services like sanitization and cleanliness. There is no enforcement about wearing masks by passengers. Even unreserved passengers are being allowed and there is a waiting list in several trains,” said Basant Kumar Shukla, secretary of Bharatiya Yatri Kendra (BYK).
SECR’s Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) member Pratap Motwani echoed the same views. “People are already a harried lot due to LPG and fuel prices and most food items have exhibited higher inflation. It is high time railways should run mail/express trains as regular trains and restore concessions,” Motwani said.
Benishyam Khandelwal of Innovative Citizens Forum, Tumsar, working for passengers’ welfare, said, “While illegal vendors have a free run in trains, passengers under SECR have been asked to book tickets in advance even for short distances. The special tag to trains is a hidden fare hike. Earlier, travel between Tumsar-Gondia used to cost Rs20 but now it costs Rs60. Similarly, from Tumsar to Nagpur it costs Rs184 instead of Rs45 earlier.”
“Citing Covid protocol, no tickets are being issued after the chart is prepared. Covid special train tag is just to extract extra fare from poor passengers. Covid protocol can be followed even if the special status is removed. Under the garb of special trains, it is virtually a fare hike,” said Khandelwal.
Train traffic disrupted
Due to heavy rains and water-logging in Mumbai and surroundings, the Central Railway on Thursday canceled CSMT-Gondia, CSMT-Howrah, and Howrah- CSMT Covid specials. Besides, Puri-LTT and Howrah-CSMT express trains were diverted via Vasai Road-Nandurbar-Jalgaon. Railway officials said due to rains tracks between Kasara and Igatpuri have been damaged and work was going on to restore traffic on war-footing. On Thursday, the CSMT-Nagpur Sevaram Express short-originated from Nashik.