Unlock 4: Inter-district train services to resume in Maharashtra

The inter-district movement of passengers by train will resume within Maharashtra as people will be able to book tickets from September 2. The announcement came amid the Unlock 4 plan, which started on September 30.

Mumbai: Inter-district travel will now be permitted on special long-distance trains as per the Maharashtra government's latest set of guidelines for the COVID-19 'unlock' phase, a railway official said on Tuesday.

While restrictions have not been eased for local trains, frequency of special long-distance trains, which are currently being plied, also remains unchanged, the official said.

The passenger reservation system has been enabled and starting September 2, people can travel in long-distance trains only on reserved tickets, he said.

This travel will be restricted on special trains, which are being plied to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states, he said, adding that the railways is currently running 32 such trains and there will be no change in the frequency.

Earlier, long-distance trains were only running from the station of origin to the destination, without any, stops in between.

However, these trains will now stop at various stations in the state along the way depending on their scheduled stops, the official added.

Currently, 230 special trains are being run by the Railways in wake of COVID-19 pandemic and it is planning to further ease the journey of passengers by plying more trains on the track.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)