What are clone trains?

Keeping in mind the high rush on certain routes due to limited number of trains running in times of coronavirus, railway board chairman V.K. Yadav has announced that Indian Railways will start running an extra train for those trains that have a long waiting list.

Business Desk, ETV Bharat: Waitlisted tickets on popular train routes have become a common issue for passengers, especially after the Indian Railways started running limited number of trains in order to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In order to address this concern, Indian Railways has now decided to run clone trains for peak routes to accommodate those on the waiting list.

At a media briefing on Saturday, railway board chairman V.K. Yadav had announced: “Wherever there is a demand for a particular train, wherever the waiting list is long, we will run a clone train ahead of the actual train, so that passengers can travel.”

Here’s a look at what exactly these clone trains are and how will they operate:

What is a clone train?

A clone train is essentially an extra train that runs parallel to the train that has a long waiting list. So, for instance, if a train has got all its seats reserved and still has heavy demand of waitlisted passengers, railways will run a clone train with the same number and same features.

Which trains will have their own clone trains?

Yadav on Saturday said that Indian Railways will monitor all the trains that are currently in operation to determine which trains have a long waiting list. Clone trains will be added for those which have a waiting list for good 10-12 days. Reportedly, the routes are currently being finalized.

At what time will these clone trains run?

Clone trains will reportedly run ahead of the already operating special trains to ensure that they reach their destination around the same time as the original train.

When will clone trains launch?

Indian Railways is planning to start the clone trains in a phased manner in the next two weeks and will soon issue an official notification about the same.

When will passengers be notified about their reservation in clone trains?

The waitlisted passengers will be informed about their berths soon after the reservation charts for the original scheduled trains are drawn up four hours before departure.

How will clone trains help Indian Railways?

Clone trains will help Railways unlock more revenue rather than refund fares to waitlisted passengers. It would also give Indian Railways an idea of passenger demand on busy routes and help them decide on addition of trains on those routes in future.

How is it different from the current ‘Vikalp’ scheme?

Under the Vikalp scheme of the Indian Railways, passengers are provided seats on alternate trains within 12 hours of the original train. However, it often doesn’t work as trains on popular routes are usually fully booked during the rush season.

Are clone trains temporary and just for managing demand during Covid?

The Indian Railways is currently running clone trains as an experiment. But if the concept succeeds, then they can also be run after regular passenger train services resume. “The aim is to reduce the queue in waiting lists and eventually do away with waiting lists with the help of trains on demand,” Yadav had said on Saturday.