There is some first-class news likely for all regular train commuters in the pre-lockdown days who had valid passes through the lockdown. If your pass which was valid through the period the nationwide lockdown was in effect and rail services were suspended, not all is lost. Railway officials have said that for now, the validity of passes of current users (essential service providers) will be extended and a decision about other passholders will be taken when local services will resume in entirety.
According to a senior railway officer, the Railway Board instructed the CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems), the technical arm of Indian Railways to ensure the extensibility of all season tickets.
“We are making a change in our system so that whenever passengers will come, their passes will be extended (for unused days) but it's up to the Railways to decide whose passes will be extended," said a CRIS official.
Officials said that due to the lockdown, season ticket holders have lost a number of days. These shall be permitted at UTS counters at stations for those allowed to travel by the state government. UTS counters may also issue fresh tickets/season tickets to those eligible.
Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar, Western Railway said, “Railways has done the same for the essential service staff who started travelling from Monday. Soon, the same may be applicable to other commuters too.”
Almost 80 per cent of local train users are season-ticket holders. In Mumbai, around 80 lakh people use local services in the normal course, so this decision will be welcomed by lakhs of passholders.
"In Mumbai, hundreds of passholders have quarterly and six-monthly passes. Most of the passengers have a validity of over one month left," said Subhash Gupta, a passenger activist.
Varun Singh, a media professional who travels from Kalyan to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus had a quarterly first-class pass, which he had renewed just before the lockdown. Singh said, “The railways have no option but to give us the lost days. Happy that they are thinking along those lines and I'm sure the railways will reimburse us for those lost travel days accordingly.”
