Indian Railways' new rules for train passengers —no linen and only packaged food allowed

Indian Railways issued new protocols for passengers travelling in trains from May 12, saying no linen will be provided to them, only packaged food and hand-sanitisers will be made available, and travellers are required to reach stations at least 90 minutes before departure.

It also said all passengers must wear face masks during the journey.

The railways, which has announced to resume a limited number of passenger services after an almost a 50-day hiatus, said the 15 trains to run from Tuesday will be air-conditioned and will run on full-capacity on the Rajdhani route from Delhi to all the major cities of the country.

The fares will be equivalent to Rajdhani fares.

Since the trains will be operated amidst the lockdown, only those passengers with confirmed e-tickets shall be allowed to enter the station, an MHA order has stated.

However, passengers can book these trains up to seven days in advance.

Online cancellation shall be permitted up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

Cancellation charge shall be 50% of fare.