Ahead of Christmas and New Year, the Indian Railways has announced two special trains to handle the holiday rush. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation will take bookings for these trains from November 20, an official release said.
Between November 21 and January 2, 2022, Madgaon Junction-Panvel Special will depart from Madgaon Junction every Sunday at 4 pm. It will reach Panvel at 3.15 am the next day.
From November 22 to January 3, 2022, Panvel-Madgaon Junction Special will depart every Monday from Panvel at 6.05 am and reach Madgaon Junction at 6:45 pm the same day.
These trains will halt at various stations including, Roha, Mangaon, Khed, Chiplun, Sawarda, Sangameshwar Road, Ratnagiri, Adavali, Rajapur Road, Vaibhavwadi Road, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Kudal, Sawantwadi Road, Thivim and Karmali, the railways press release said.
Tickets for these trains can be booked at the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and IRCTC website. More details about the trains are available on www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in. One can also download the NTES App and check the details of the special trains.
Passengers boarding the trains are required to follow all state and central government COVID-19 norms, the release further stated.
Meanwhile, the Railway Board has asked the IRCTC to resume serving cooked food in long-distance trains in view of the relaxation of the COVID-19 norms. Cooked food services had been suspended during the pandemic.
Last Saturday, the Indian Railways had also announced it would revert to pre-pandemic ticket prices with immediate effect and discontinue the "special" tag for mail and express trains.
The decision to resume cooked food services on trains comes on the heels of the civil aviation ministry permitting airlines to serve meals on all domestic flights.
"It has been decided by the Ministry of Railways to resume the services of cooked food in trains. Service of ready-to-eat meals will also continue," a letter from the Railway Board to the IRCTC said on Friday.
