Etrains Blog

India’s extensive railway network is not just a mode of transport; it’s a rich tapestry of experiences that every traveler should explore. From the scenic routes cutting through majestic landscapes to the vibrant cultures and cuisines one can encounter along the way, here’s your ultimate guide to train travel in India. 1. Planning Your Journey Research and Booking Train Types : Understand the different train services like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, and regional trains. Class of Travel : Choose the right class for your comfort and budget, from general to first class AC. Ticket Booking : Use platforms like IRCTC, Cleartrip, or MakeMyTrip for booking tickets. Aim to book in advance, especially for popular routes. Itinerary and Timing Route Planning : Choose routes based on your interests, whether it’s scenic beauty, cultural...

The ministry of railways explained on Wednesday that it has imposed "slightly higher fares" in short-distance commuter trains after they resumed service following the shutdown to "discourage needless travel." Since the lock-down restrictions were relaxed, the national carrier is now only running special commuter trains. Since March 25, 2020, regular commuter trains have been cancelled. Railway Ministry told that, “As special provisions for Covid-19, the fares of these trains have been fixed at unreserved price of mail/express trains for the same distance”. Regular passengers who are experiencing the sting of fare increases have chastised the Railways, which has now started local train services. A ticket from Amritsar to Pathankot , for example, now costs ₹55, while it used to cost ₹25. Similarly, a passenger DMU ticket between Jalandhar city railway station and Ferozpur now costs ₹60, up from ₹30 previously. Statement from Ministry of Railways said, “Railways would ...

Indian Railways is working on a project that will revolutionise how ordinary people travel by train! A prototype of a new air-conditioned general second class coach will be rolled out by the end of this year. Indian Railways is looking to revamp unreserved second class coaches by making them air-conditioned, after introducing an Economy AC 3-tier train. Several of the other improvements are in the works in the coach to make train travel more convenient for the average person. The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala will produce the new AC general second class coach. General Manager of RCF, Ravinder Gupta, told that "This project will change the face of rail travel in India for the common man. Air conditioned general second class travel will become comfortable like never before". The new AC general second class coach's layout is being finalised, and RCF hopes to have a prototype ready by the end of the year. Currently, a general second-class coach can seat up to 100 pas...

The Ministry of Railways has instructed the Indian Railways Catering and Toursim Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) to terminate all existing mobile catering contracts, which include providing cooked food to passengers prepared from base kitchens. Company told "IRCTC was further directed to treat this case as an exception arising out of pandemic situation and not to treat the case as contractor's default and hence not impose any fine for not providing catering services and also return the Security Deposit (SD) and advance license fee in full after considering valid dues". The comment comes as members of the Indian Railways' Mobile Caterers Association (ICRMCA) file a petition in the Madras High Court on January 19, 2021, raising the question of mobile catering. The Madras High Court had ordered the Indian Railways to consider IRMCA's request to resume service, which had been suspended after the lock-down was declared in March 2020. The court ordered that the authorities shou...

Railways minister Piyush Goyal has shared glimpses of the country’s soon to be inaugurated first centralised AC railway terminal in Karnataka. The upcoming state of the art railway terminal in Bengaluru's Baiyappanahalli district. Goyal tweeted on Thursday and shared photographs of the station, "Have a glimpse of the upcoming Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru, Karnataka, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities". The Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal railway terminal has seven platforms with escalators and lifts linking each of the platforms for easier passenger movement. A foot over bridge and two subways have also be added for a better connection between the platforms. The 4200 sq. meter station construction, which has cost ₹314 crore, will serve to a daily footfall of 50,000. Fifty trains can be operated from the terminal on a daily basis. The photos shared by the minister show the luxurious interiors of the railway terminal, railway lines, the stylish and sufficien...

Final tenders for 150 private trains, which are scheduled to commence operations on 109 routes by 2023, are expected to arrive by 31 March. Termination fees, granting alternative routes and further relaxation for route exclusivity, the government of Narendra Modi has planned major concessions to ease private players' concerns before they begin bidding to run trains. The Ministry of Railways and the Group of Secretaries (GoS) were cleared of these compromises at a meeting held last week. The meeting was chaired by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, Suneet Sharma, Chairman of the Railway Board, Tarun Bajaj, Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, and others. A senior government official said, "In the second pre-offer meeting, which took place in January, the bidders raised certain issues with regard to the draft agreement." 'In the meeting with the secretaries, the issues were addressed and the draft agreement will be tweaked accordingly,' said the official, ...