New Delhi: Ministry of Railways, on Friday, issued orders to restore all the regular train services, removing the 'special tag' from mail and express trains with which these used to get operated during the Covid times. The order also directs reverting to the pre-pandemic ticket prices with immediate effect.
"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," Ministry of Railways said in its order.
Railways has been running only special trains after suspending its services due to the onset of the pandemic which induced a nationwide lockdown. In the beginning, Railways had started to run long-distance trains under 'special tag' but now, even short-distance passenger services are being run in the same with "slightly higher fares".
Railways had claimed that these slightly higher fares for passenger and other short distance trains had been introduced to discourage people from avoidable travels and those which are not most necessary.
"With this more than 1,700 trains will be restored in the next few days. The first digit will now not be zero as was in the case of special trains," a Railway Ministry official said. However, the resumption of full services in the pre-Covid manner will take a few days due to "some technical reasons," the official added
The order did not mention if the concessions which were discontinued in the special trains will be reinstated. Also, Covid restrictions would still be continued in these trains.
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