The Railways on Tuesday said it would run 392 special trains between October 20 and November 30 to cater to the festive season demand.
“To clear the festive rush, the Ministry of Railways has approved 196 pairs of ‘Festival Special’ services ... to be operated from October 20, 2020 and November 30, 2020,” a statement said. The fare for these trains would be equal to that applicable for special trains.
The special trains will be run to and from States including Kolkata, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh amid upcoming festivals such as Durga Puja, Dasara, Deepavali and Chhatt puja.
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While the Railways has suspended passenger services since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has started some trains in a phased manner. Currently, about 300 passenger trains are operational.
In an order issued on Tuesday, the Railway Board said these festival specials would be operated at a speed of 55 kmph. “Zonal Railways should make efforts to operate these services with more number of AC-3 tier coaches in good condition,” it added.