News

Attention Indian Railways passengers! All Special trains to run with regular train numbers

Regularisation Of Train Numbers: In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, all regular Indian Railways’ Mail or Express train services were operated as Mail or Express Special and Holiday Special trains. Now the national transporter has decided that all such train services shall be operated across the railway network with regular train numbers and with train fare as applicable to a particular class of travel, type of train, etc. Gradually, all special trains are being converted to regular train numbers with effect from 16 November 2021. All train numbers, in PRS & NTES system, are being converted to regular train numbers in a phased manner, according to a statement issued by Eastern Railways. Meanwhile, the Railway Ministry announced that the Railways Passenger Reservation System (PRS) of Indian Railways will be shut down for six hours during the lean business hours for seven days. The move, according to the ministry, has been taken to enable upgradation of system data, updating of new train numbers, etc. Since a huge amount of old train numbers, as well as data of current passenger booking, are to be updated in all Indian Railways Mail or Express trains, the step is being planned in a series of carefully calibrated steps and implemented during night hours to minimize the impact on ticketing services. The activity started from the intervening night of 14 and 15 November to the night of 20 and 21 November, starting at 11:30 PM and ending at 05:30 AM. No PRS Services (ticket Reservation, current booking, cancellation, enquiry services, etc) are available during these six hours duration. During the period, it is being ensured by the railway personnel that the advance charting for the trains is starting during the affected timings. Except for the Passenger Reservation System services, all other enquiry services including 139 helpline number services will continue uninterrupted, the ministry said.

Read more

First foreign educational delegation visits India from Maldives post-Covid under the Youth Exchange Programme

With India reopening for foreign tourists and welcoming travellers from different parts of the world, groups tours have also started reviving with India hosting one of the first foreign educational delegation from Maldives for a nine-day tour, which will include travel to different cities of the country apart from visiting eminent educational institutes. Organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, a 14- member Maldivian youth delegation to India is currently travelling to Udaipur, Mount Abu, Agra, and Delhi and interacting with the Indian youth and sharing mutual experiences. Handling the tour and organising ground arrangements for the delegation, Hariom Singh, CEO, Tiwari Tours shared more details on trip and said it is a wonderful opportunity for the foreign delegation to explore India and project globally India as a safe destination to travel. “Foreign groups travelling to India once again is a positive sign for the revival of the industry. Inbound tourism is kick-starting again, and we should all work together to project that India is ready to welcome tourists again and it is completely safe to travel here,” Singh said in conversation with ETTravelWorld. During their stay in India from November 10-18, the delegates have already visited Udaipur and Mount Abu, where they interacted youth from two major universities in the city, shared their experience with local women’s self-help group and also attended sessions on Yoga and meditation. The delegation also visited historic and tourist sites during their visit to Udaipur and Mount Abu, where they were briefed more about the destination. During their visit to Agra and Delhi, the delegation will hold discussions with youth from the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and other organisations.

Read more

BEST forays big into tourism, to launch 'HO-HO' services soon

The BEST public bus service will venture big time into city tourism by launching 'Hop On-Hop Off' bus services soon, officials said here on Wednesday. A long-pending proposal to the effect was cleared by the BEST Committee late on Tuesday - and the services are likely to "start very soon", BEST Spokesperson Manoj Varade told IANS. For the Ho-Ho Mumbai Tourism, the BEST will deploy a fleet of around ten plush, air-conditioned, electric buses, operating every 30 minutes simultaneously on the Juhu Chowpatty-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The services shall start at 9 am and continue till 8 pm daily, catering to domestic or foreign tourists, for an eyefull of some of the most significant landmarks of the country's commercial capital. The tickets for the day-long tour will be INR 250 per head which can be utilised on any of the Ho-Ho Mumbai Tourism buses.The Ho-Ho Mumbai Tourism buses will ply from CSMT and halt at Veermata Jijabai Zoo, Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Juhu Garden, the famed Juhu Beach, Bandra Bandstand, Shri Siddhivinayak Temple, Nehru Planetarium, the historic Girgaum Chowpatty, Taraporewala Aquarium and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum. En route, the tourists can enjoy the sights and skyline of Mumbai BMC Headquarters, Gloria Church, Bandra Reclamation, the residences of some of the top Bollywood actors, Linking Road, Juhu Tara Road, Rajiv Gandhi Bandra Worli Sea Link, Haji Ali sea mausoleum, Pedder Road, Babulnath Temple, Wankhede (cricket) stadium, the business hub of Nariman Point and finally Mantralaya. An official said that earlier, the BEST had launched special limited hour tourism services to see some of the iconic landmarks of Mumbai which are illuminated. Recently, it has re-launched the open-deck BEST services for tourists in specified locations in south Mumbai with services operated from Gateway of India at 5, 6.30 and 8 pm daily, and ticket rates of INR 150 for upper and INR 75 for lower deck seats. Varade said that Ho-Ho Mumbai Tourism would be drastically different from the regular city tourist buses of private players. "In Ho-Ho, the tourists can get off at any spot en route, go around as much as they want and hop onto the next service to go to the next destination, on the same ticket," Varade explained.

Read more

Good news for Vegetarian passengers! Now enjoy fresh & pure veg food in Indian Railways

Enjoy fresh and pure Vegetarian food in Indian Railways like never before! For the first time, the Sattvik Council of India, an organization committed to providing a vegetarian experience to Indians, has joined hands with the catering arm of Indian Railways- the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Cooperation (IRCTC) to offer a veg certification to trains in India. The Sattvik Council of India along with IRCTC recently introduced the Sattvik Certification scheme as well as the first in the world and one of its kind “Passenger- Locomotive Continuous Audit Module” at the IRCTC Executive Lounge, located on Platform Number-16, New Delhi Railway Station. According to the Sattvik Council of India, starting with the Vande Bharat Express train, and eventually 18 other trains, this certification is primarily targeted to Indian Railways’ trains travelling to the country’s religious destinations. The certification ensures a truly vegan experience for veg travelers by making sure the food is pure vegetarian and also that the utensils as well as any utility that enters the kitchen have been washed with items that have been certified vegetarian. The Sattvik Council of India said that often, it is seen that “veg” food is not truly vegetarian because of multiple factors, so in order to ensure the purity of the food, there will be no non-veg food prepared alongside in the kitchen, which means there will be no mix-ups. Furthermore, in order to ensure that Vegetarian passengers are comfortable as well as to promote their cause, a handbook (operations manual) has been jointly developed by the IRCTC and the Sattvik Council of India on all the veg destinations as well as kitchens in association with Bureau Veritas- its Global Audit Partner. In order to ensure “vegetarian-friendly travel” the Sattvik certification is not just limited to Indian Railways’ trains, but also to IRCTC base kitchens, budget hotels, executive lounges, food plazas, tour and travel packages, Rail Neer plants, etc., the Sattvik Council of India claimed.

Read more

Indian Railways gets first pod hotel at Mumbai Central station

Passengers of Indian Railways and even common people can now avail of modern resting facilities at comparatively cheaper rates thanks to the firstof-its-kind pod hotel which has come up at the Mumbai Central station. According to a senior Western Railway (WR) official, one has to pay INR 999 for 12 hours and INR 1,999 for 24 hours for staying in this pod hotel where facilities like WiFi, TV, a small locker, adjustable mirror, and reading lights etc., will be provided. A pod hotel has several small bed-sized capsules and provides affordable overnight accommodation. The first pod hotel on the Indian Railways was inaugurated virtually on Wednesday by Union minister of state for Railways Raosaheb Danve from the Churchgate station in south Mumbai. The minister also inaugurated various passenger amenities via video link. Speaking at the event, Danve said passengers will get the accommodation at affordable rates at the pod-concept hotel, also known as capsule hotels. He also inaugurated a Railway Public Grievance office at the Churchgate station. "Confirmed seats are not available for passengers who travel in general compartments of trains. Railways should ensure that the passengers are provided confirmed seats," he said. On the occasion, Danve dedicated to people platforms at Ambernath and Kopar railway stations on the Mumbai suburban network, foot overbridges, escalators, lifts, and toilet blocks. He also inaugurated a coach-themed restaurant at CSMT and an executive waiting hall at CSMT and Mumbai Central railway stations. A reconstructed Road Over Bridge near Grant Road station, an integrated surveillance system on Mumbai suburban section of Western Railway were also inaugurated. Speaking on the occasion, opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis requested Danve to revive proposed elevated corridor projects for boosting the carrying capacity on the Mumbai suburban corridors. Railway authorities had planned elevated corridors between Churchgate and Virar on Western Railway and CSMT-Panvel stations on Central Railway. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who also attended the inauguration function, suggested the construction of malls at stations like Dadar, Sion, Kurla, and Churchgate so that passengers can do shopping while returning home. On the occasion, Danve dedicated to people platforms at Ambernath and Kopar railway stations on the Mumbai suburban network, foot overbridges, escalators, lifts, and toilet blocks. He also inaugurated a coach-themed restaurant at CSMT and an executive waiting hall at CSMT and Mumbai Central railway stations. A reconstructed Road Over Bridge near Grant Road station, an integrated surveillance system on Mumbai suburban section of Western Railway were also inaugurated. Speaking on the occasion, opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis requested Danve to revive proposed elevated corridor projects for boosting the carrying capacity on the Mumbai suburban corridors. Railway authorities had planned elevated corridors between Churchgate and Virar on Western Railway and CSMT-Panvel stations on Central Railway. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who also attended the inauguration function, suggested the construction of malls at stations like Dadar, Sion, Kurla, and Churchgate so that passengers can do shopping while returning home. Alok K., General Manager of WR, said the total cost of the projects and facilities inaugurated on Wednesday was worth INR 230 crore. He said the pod concept hotel at the Mumbai Central station is the first-of-its-kind on the Indian Railways. "Passengers can avail all modern facilities at comparatively cheaper rates at these pod concept rooms. Passengers, as well as the general public, can stay at the pod rooms by paying INR 999 for 12 hours and INR 1,999 for 24 hours," he added.

Read more

MoHFW reviews guidelines for international travellers coming to India; China, UK and Brazil still on ‘at risk’ category

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has reviewed for the existing guidelines issues for international travellers coming to the country in view of current Covid-19 situation, steady number of daily infections and increasing coverage of vaccination of Indian citizens. After India opened for arrival of foreign tourists from November 15, the Indian government has imposed certain restrictions on travellers from 10 countries, whose citizens have to follow additional measures post arrival in India. These include Covid-19 testing, screening at the airport and quarantine, if required. However, the government has not made any change to list of countries who can enjoy quarantine-travel in India, which means that major tourist source markets for India such as the UK, China, Brazil, Bangladesh and many other nations still feature in the ‘at risk’ category. Additionally, travellers from the UK and Canada are also barred from availing the e-Tourist Visa facility, as they are required to apply for visa at Indian missions/embassies. The revised guidelines issued on November 13 features Singapore, South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe apart from the United Kingdom, China and Brazil in the category which states these nation ‘at risk’ due to prevailing Covid-19 situation and daily infection rate. The lack of reciprocity from these countries in mutually recognising the vaccination certificate might be another reason. However, revision for visitors from Singapore will be expected after the South Asian nation announced Vaccinated Travel Lane with India from November 29, which will allow Indian travellers to visit Singapore without any quarantine. Till now, the government has allowed quarantine-free entry of international visitors from 99 countries. On the basis of reciprocity, the travellers from all such countries that provide quarantine-free entry to Indians ("Category A" countries) are allowed certain relaxations on arrival. This is based on agreement for mutual recognition of vaccination certificate for individuals fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO approved Covid-19 vaccine.

Read more