New Delhi: Indian Railways has decided to run passenger trains with their regular numbers from Wednesday as they were running before COVID-19. As per a decision by the Railway Board, all passenger trains will have regular numbers instead of the existing ‘0’ numbering system.
According to railway officials, the passenger trains will operate as per earlier frequency with their earlier train numbers from January 2025 onwards.
Informing about the restoration of the original number, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northeast Frontier Railway, said, “The details of stoppages and timings of all the 60 pairs of trains are available in IRCTC website and social media platforms. Passengers are requested to verify the details before undertaking their journey.”
Apart from this, a new timetable has been introduced across the rail network; this schedule has come into effect from January 1, 2025. All services are in operation, these services including the extended new suburban section. The timings of these trains have been revised keeping in view the commuters' timings, as well as for connecting the newly introduced Vande Bharat Trains, Amrit Bharat Trains, and other express mails.
Informing about the new timetable, A. Sridhar, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Central Railways, said, “The information about the trains and changes in the timings at the related stations can be availed by visiting the National Train Enquiry System or by approaching the station manager/enquiry counter of concerned railway stations.”
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northeast Frontier Railway, said, “The updated schedule brings numerous changes aimed at improving connectivity, enhancing passenger convenience, and streamlining operational efficiency.”
A major highlight of the new timetable is the speeding up of various trains, significantly cutting travel durations on key routes. For instance, the SMVT Bengaluru–New Tinsukia Express (Train No. 22501) will now be faster by 120 minutes, while the Kamakhya–Gomti Nagar Express (Train No. 15077) will save 75 minutes. Similarly, the Dibrugarh-Howrah Express (Train No. 15962) will have a reduced travel time of 60 minutes. These adjustments reflect providing faster and more efficient services for passengers.
Moreover, the timings of several express trains have been revised to better align with passenger requirements across the country. For example, the New Jalpaiguri–New Delhi Express (Train No. 12523) will now depart from New Jalpaiguri at 8:45 hrs, while the Silchar–Thiruvananthapuram Central Express (Train No. 12508) will depart Silchar at 19:30 hrs.
Additionally, several DEMU trains have also been revised for passenger convenience. These changes are aimed at improving connectivity and ensuring smoother travel experiences for passengers, the railway official informed.
Talking about the new timetable, Shashikant Tripathi, CPRO, North Central Railways, told ETV Bharat, “The new timetable has been introduced in January for the first time. In previous years, it was done in July. It needs to make changes every year because during the year railways introduce several new trains, increase or reduce stoppages, and enhance train speeds, so these changes need to be streamlined and provide a proper platform to inform passengers for their convenience.”
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