New Delhi: Two trains chugged out of New Delhi on time carrying 2,299 passengers on board as the Railways resumed services Tuesday. Another train is scheduled to leave from here to Bangalore at 9.15pm in the evening.
1st two trains
The New Delhi Railway Station saw the departure of two special trains for Bilaspur and Dibrugarh. These were the first passenger trains around 50 days after the nationwide lockdown.
Passenger statistics
A total of 1,177 passengers are booked on the New Delhi-Bilaspur special train, which departed at 4.00pm. There were 1,122 passengers on the New Delhi-Dibrugarh special train that departed at 4:45 pm. A total of 1,162 passengers are booked on the New Delhi-Bangalore special train. “Total 3,461 passengers to leave New Delhi today,” the Railways said.
Protocols maintained at the station
The Railways regulated passengers even before the entry to the station. Passengers were asked if they had downloaded the Aarogya Setu app and most of them answered in the affirmative, officials said.
Passengers who boarded the Bilaspur bound train sanitised their hands at the entry gates. They wore masks and carried minimal baggage as advised by the Railways. As they entered the station, officials guided them to their designated coaches. This resulted in minimal crowds at platforms.
Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav was also present at the station.
Details of other trains
Tuesday, five other trains bound for New Delhi will leave from Patna, Bangalore, Howrah, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The Northern Railways said in a statement that entry to the New Delhi Railway Station will be allowed only from the Paharganj side for all confirmed ticket holders.
For now, the Railways have issued a timetable for trains to be run between May 12 and May 20. These trains will have only AC classes i.e. first, second and third AC.
The train to Bhubaneswar is scheduled for May 14.
Busy station
Under normal circumstances, the New Delhi Railway Station is one of the busiest stations in the country. A total of 351 trains arrive/depart from this station daily with a footfall of more than 5.20 lakh passengers each day.