Special trains for people & migrants workers stranded in East Jaintia Hills District

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 1, 2020

The Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hill District in a press release issued here informs all the stranded migrant’s workers in East Jaintia Hills District that 200 special trains started running across the country since the 1^st June, 2020. These services will be in addition to Shramik special trains and 30 Special Ac trains and only passengers with confirmed RAC tickets shall be allowed to enter the Railway Station AC and board the train. As per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines all passengers shall be compulsorily screened and asymptomatic passengers shall be allowed to enter and board the train.

He also informed that these are fully reserved trains consisting of both AC and Non AC classes. The general (GS) coaches have reserved sitting accommodation and there will be no unreserved coach in the train. Also, normal class wise fare will be charged and for reserved GS coaches (General sitting), being reserved, second seating (2S) fare reserved trains shall be charged and seat will be provided to all the passengers.

Regarding the charting and boarding of Trains, he said that the RAC and wait list will be generated as per extant rules and no unreserved (UTS) tickets will be issued and no tickets will be issued onboard to any passenger during the journey. Along with fully confirmed and RAC passenger, partially waitlisted ticket holders (if in single PNR there are confirmed and WL passengers both) are allowed. Whereas, waitlisted passengers are not allowed.

The Deputy Commissioner also said that booking of Tatkal tickets can be done from 29^th of June, 2020 and the journey date is from 30^th of June, 2020 and onwards. Further, the first chart shall be prepared at least 4 hours before scheduled departure and the second chart shall be prepared at least 2 hours before scheduled departure. All passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to enter and board the train.

Furthermore, passengers travelling by these special services should wear a face cover and mask at the entry and during travel, the passengers shall reach the station 90 minutes in advance to facilitate thermal screening at the station. Only passengers who are found asymptomatic will be permitted to travel and alls passengers shall observed social distancing. On arrival at their destination, the travelling passengers will have to adhere to the health protocols as prescribe by the destination State and Union Territories.

For cancellation and refund, Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fare Rules, 2015 shall be applicable. In addition refund of fare in case passenger is not allow to travel due to high fever or symptoms of COVID-19 shall also remain applicable. If during screening at the station a passenger has very high temperature or symptoms of Covid- 19, the passenger shall not be allowed to travel despite having confirmed tickets.

The Deputy Commissioner also stated that no catering charge shall be included in the fare and provision for prepaid meal booking; e- catering shall be disabled. However, IRCTC shall make provision for limited eatables and packaged drinking water on payment basis only in limited trains, having pantry car attached. Information to this effect shall be made available to passengers during time of booking ticket.

He also encouraged the passengers to carry their own food and drinking water. He also inform that all state catering and vending units (Multipurpose stalls, Book stalls, Misc, Chemist stalls, etc) at the railway station will remain open. In case of food plaza and refreshments rooms etc, cooked items may be served as takeaway only with no sit down eating arrangements in place.

In addition, no linen, blankets and curtains shall be provided inside the train, passengers are advised to carry their own linen for the travel. The temperature inside AC coaches shall be suitably regulated for this purpose. All Passengers must download and use the Aarogya Setu application and they are advised to travel light. All migrant workers who wish to return back home shall register with the District Task force, East Jaintia Hills District.