Indian Railways: These are the trains which are included in Working Time Table, 2021 and presently working as MSPC (Mail/Express Special) and HSP (Holiday Special) train services.
Indian Railways on Friday issued an order to discontinue the ‘special’ tag for mail and express trains and return to pre-pandemic ticket prices with immediate effect. After which the passengers will get special facilities.
The Railway Board, in a letter to the Principal Chief Commercial Managers, said that the Ministry of Railways has decided that all regular time tabled trains will be operated with regular numbers. Fare and classification apply. These are the trains which are included in Working Time Table, 2021 and presently working as MSPC (Mail/Express Special) and HSP (Holiday Special) train services.
The Board said that the second class of such trains will continue to run as reserved except in any relaxation allowed in special cases. The board said that on already booked tickets, there will be no difference in the fare charged by the Railways or any refund will be allowed on account of already booked passengers.
Let us inform that since the corona lockdown has been relaxed, the Railways is running only special trains. It started with long distance trains and now short distance passenger services are also being run as special trains. The railways, in a letter to the zonal railways, on Friday said that the trains will now be operated with their regular numbers and the fares will return to normal prices. Ticket prices for special trains and holiday special trains are marginally higher.
A senior official said, “The zonal railways have been instructed. Though the order is in force with immediate effect, the process will take a day or two. With this, over 1,700 trains will be restored in the next few days, another official said. With this, the first digit of the train number will no longer be zero as was the case with special trains.
With the operation of special trains and without concessions, the revenue of the Railways has seen a substantial increase. It registered a growth of 113% in earnings from passenger segment during the second quarter of 2021-2022 as compared to the first.
