NEW DELHI: With reduction of Covid-19 cases across the country, the Indian Railways has decided to restore operations of all mail and express trains to their earlier schedule and revert to pre-pandemic ticket prices with immediate effect.
As per this decision, taken on Friday evening, around 1,700 mail and express trains will be restored in next few days.
Director passenger marketing of Railway Board Vipul Singhal directed officials to ensure proper running of all mail/express trains (MSPC) and holiday special trains with their regular numbers and fare.
An official statement read that Covid-19 restrictions, which were imposed during the pandemic, will continue. Curbs such as -- temporary restrictions on concessions, bedrolls and meal services, would remain in effect.
The status of special trains will be removed from all the MSPC and the HSP trains giving a major relief to passengers.
"The first digit will now not be zero as was in the case of special trains," another official said.
The Railway Board said trains will now be operated with their regular numbers and fares will revert to normal pre-Covid prices.
"In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, all regular mail/express trains were being operated as MSPC (mail/express special) and HSP (holiday special). It has now been decided that the MSPC and HSP train services, included in the Working Time Table, 2021, shall be operated with regular numbers and with fares as applicable for the concerned classes of travel and type of train, as per the extant guidelines."
(Inputs from PTI)