Tejas Express passengers to get safety kits

Mumbai-Ahmedabad and New Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express trains can begin operations from mid-October. File pic

The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to provide every passenger of the Tejas Express train series with a medical safety kit containing a face shield, masks, gloves, etc.

The Indian Railways (IR) on Monday allowed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and New Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express trains to begin operations from mid-October. The trains have been shut down since March when the lockdown began. The commercial run of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad train began from January 19, 2020, and ran for six days a week with Thursday as an off-day for maintenance activities.

Sources said that though the railway board has allowed beginning the operations from mid-October, no date has been finalised yet. Officials said that the train shall be run with all the COVID-19 medical protocols in place and carry half the capacity to maintain social distancing but there is clarity on whether food will be served onboard or not. As of now only packed items, ready to eat, packaged drinking water and tea/coffee/beverages are available on limited trains and station catering units. The train will be sanitized at both ends before and after completion of the journeys.

Downloading the Arogya Setu app will also be mandatory for all those willing to travel by train and the passengers would have to report early to get thermal check-ups done at the stations.

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