South Central Railway is operating 1310 originating/terminating Festival Special trains during the Festival season of Dussehra, Deepawali and Chat puja seasons. Apart from these another 456 Festival Special trains are passing through the zone during the festival season. Due to increasing in frequency of train services, additional safety measures are being implemented at all the Railway stations.
Shri Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, South Central Railway held a review on the increase of passengers flow during the festival season and instructed the officials to make adequate arrangements. He advised the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) to maintain a strict vigil and regulate the passenger movements and ensure maintenance of Covid-19 precautions. He also directed all the Divisional Railway Managers to monitor the situation continuously. Shri Gajanan Mallya made an appeal to the passengers to follow the guidelines provided by the Railway administration for a safe and secure travel during the season.
Rail Passengers are requested to note that, all the Festival Special Trains are fully reserved trains and no passengers should come to the Railway stations without a confirmed ticket. For the convenience of passengers adequate Reservation counters are being operated at all the important Railway stations. In view of the Festival season several special arrangements have been made for the convenience of authorized passengers as detailed below;
1. Adequate manning of the gates at Railway stations and also in the trains has been done to keep a check on the passengers without ticket/unauthorized travelling.
2. Adequate Reservation counters have been opened at PRS centers as well as at stations to cater to the requirement of passengers for regular as well as last minute bookings.
3. Regular announcements are being made at Railway stations as well as at PRS counters to inform passengers that all these trains are fully reserved trains.
Apart from the above, South Central Railway seeks the cooperation of rail passengers to ensure a safe and hassle free rail travel by observing the precautions to stop the spread of Covid-19. All the passengers are advised to:
1. Wear a mask properly.
2. Maintain social distancing.
3. Covid Positive persons are not allowed to railway area or boarding a train.
4. Boarding a train after having been denied to undertake travel by the health checkup team at the railway station is an offence and punishment will be imposed.
5. Spitting or willful ejection of body fluid/waste in public area is a punishable offence.
6. An activity which may create unclean or unhygienic conditions or affect public health and safety in railway stations and trains is also a punishable offence.
Anyone not adhering to the Covid-19 prevention protocol would be viewed seriously and is liable to be taken-up under relevant section of the Railway Act-1989.