Lok Sabha Question No. 413 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Operation of Special Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan, Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 413

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2021 OPERATION OF SPECIAL TRAINS

- *413.  SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN: SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the special trains that are being operated after lockdown, zonewise;
- (b)  whether any regular trains are also being operated during this period;
- (c)  whether the special trains charge higher fares than the regular train fares; and
- (d)    the  total  revenue  generated  by  increasing  the  fares  in  these special trains?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (d)  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION  NO.  413  BY  SHRI  M.K.  RAGHAVAN  AND  SHRI  SANGAM  LAL GUPTA  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  24.03.2021  REGARDING OPERATION OF SPECIAL TRAINS.

(a) and (b) To prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways discontinued all regular passenger carrying trains w.e.f. 23 rd  March, 2020 and  is  presently  operating  only  Special  Trains  keeping  in  view  the suggestions and concerns of State Governments. The zone-wise details of average daily number of trains being operated presently (as on 19.03.2021) is tabulated below:

| Zonal Railway               |   Average Mail/ Express trains per day |   Average Passenger trains per day |   Total |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------|---------|
| Central Railway             |                                     99 |                                  5 |     104 |
| East Coast Railway          |                                     44 |                                  0 |      44 |
| East Central Railway        |                                     90 |                                123 |     213 |
| Eastern Railway             |                                    116 |                                189 |     305 |
| Konkan Railway              |                                      7 |                                  0 |       7 |
| North Central Railway       |                                     39 |                                 15 |      54 |
| North Eastern Railway       |                                     67 |                                 44 |     111 |
| North east Frontier Railway |                                     59 |                                 24 |      83 |
| Northern Railway            |                                    197 |                                 49 |     246 |
| North Western Railway       |                                     77 |                                 24 |     101 |
| South Central Railway       |                                     88 |                                  0 |      88 |
| South East Central Railway  |                                     18 |                                 25 |      43 |
| South Eastern Railway       |                                     52 |                                 53 |     105 |
| Southern Railway            |                                    168 |                                  9 |     177 |
| South Western Railway       |                                     79 |                                 45 |     124 |
| West Central Railway        |                                     43 |                                  0 |      43 |
| Western Railway             |                                     97 |                                 58 |     155 |
| TOTAL                       |                                   1340 |                                663 |    2003 |

(c) In view of health advisory due to COVID-19, regular train services are running  as  COVID  specials  on  the  fare  as  applicable  for  regular  time Tabled trains.  During COVID times as passenger demands are not uniform over different sectors, some special trains on special charges have been introduced to meet the additional demands over different sectors as per already published fare for special trains on special charges as applicable. Further,  unreserved second class has been declared as reserved second class in view of pandemic situation. In  view  of  COVID-19  protocol,  fare  in  short  distance  trains  also  varies depending  upon  categorization  of  trains  as  either  COVID  special  second class unreserved express or train on demand/festival special or passenger special. (d)  The  total  passenger  revenue  between  the  period  April,  2020  to February, 2021 is ₹ 12,409.49 crores as against ₹ 48,809.40 crores for the corresponding period of previous year. *****