|
New
Delhi,
Feb
28:
The
railways
on
Monday
announced
the
resumption
of
general
class
passenger
services
which
were
suspended
due
to
the
coronavirus
crisis.
The
railways
had
been
running
fully
reserved
‘special
trains’
during
the
pandemic
to
prevent
crowding
in
trains
so
as
to
contain
the
spread
of
the
disease.
Even
the
general
second
class
coaches,
mostly
used
by
people
on
short
distances
and
from
economically
backward
sections,
were
made
reserved
coaches.
“In
trains
already
restored
with
regular
train
numbers,
second
class
accommodation
shall
be
earmarked
reserved
or
unreserved
as
per
applicability
during
pre-pandemic
period,”
it
said
in
a
circular.
Apart
from
this,
second
class
accommodation
of
special
trains
currently
running
as
holiday
special
trains
will
also
be
earmarked
and
reserved
or
unreserved
as
per
policy,
it
added.
In
regular
trains,
general
coaches
shall
be
earmarked
as
reserved
or
unreserved
as
these
were
prevailing
during
pre-pandemic
period,
a
railway
spokesperson
said.
Explaining
further,
he
said
for
example,
if
a
train
had
four
unreserved
general
seating
coaches
during
pre-pandemic
period,
but
are
now
being
operated
as
2S
reserved
class,
these
shall
be
restored
as
unreserved
coaches
with
effect
from
Advance
Reservation
Period
(120
days
hence)
or
no
booking
date
(date
from
which
no
passenger
has
booked
reserved
ticket
in
2S
class).
“However,
if
a
train
had
few
GSCZ
or
similar
type
of
coaches
running
as
reserved
second
sitting
coaches
(2S
class)
in
pre-Covid
times,
these
shall
continue
as
reserved
sitting
coaches
in
those
trains
even
now,”
the
spokesman
added.
In
holiday
specials
or
other
special
trains,
general
coaches
shall
be
reserved
or
unreserved
as
prevailing
during
pre-pandemic
period,
he
said.