New Delhi: As the number of coronavirus cases decreased across India and as a result, the lockdown restrictions were relaxed, more and more people started relying on trains for travel and so on. Because of the current situation, Indian Railways has increased its travel capacity. This was a relief to many passengers as most of the trains started running on important routes. According to the Ministry of Railways, the number of passengers on trains has increased by 80% since March.
According to a report published in Money Control, Indian Railways currently operates about 1,490 mail, express, and 947 passenger trains. Ticket bookings through Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corp Ltd (IRCTC) were reduced to 500,000 tickets per day in May. But now it has raised to 800,000 tickets per day. About 90 percent of the tickets are booked through the IRCTC portal, the ministry said. An official of the department said that issues related to the operation of trains have already been discussed with the state governments. He added that trains have been completely restarted based on the demand of the people. To ensure safety, Indian Railways conducts random inspections and inspections in control areas. Demand for trains is likely to increase during the festive season, officials said.