List of trains resuming from May 12, how and where to book tickets, travel SOPs and other questions answered

Starting May 12, the Indian Railways will resume passenger train operations in a graded manner.

Passenger train services, including suburban trains, had been suspended following the prime minister's call for a nationwide lockdown on March 24.

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The special trains will be run from New Delhi Station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.

Read More | Here is a list of trains Indian Railways will be starting from May 12

The Ministry of Railways has said that only 15 pairs of trains (30 return journeys) will be operational initially.

How to book tickets for these trains

One can book tickets for these trains on the official Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website. This can be done using an existing IRCTC account, while those without one can create the same.

The booking, which was earlier scheduled to begin at 4 pm on May 11, will now start at 6 pm, as per an alert on the IRCTC website.

Guidelines to be followed

All passengers have been advised to carry their own food, blankets, and bedsheets. The Indian Railways will not provide any linen, blankets, and curtains inside these trains.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had also issued a standard operating protocol (SOP) for people travelling by these trains. Social distancing norms, use of face covers, and masks are a must. The MHA order said that only those with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter stations. All passengers are also required to reach the stations 90 minutes ahead of their scheduled boarding time.