No blankets in AC coaches even after pandemic subsides: Railways

To maintain hygiene, the Indian Railways has decided that passengers in AC coaches will not be provided blankets even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

The passengers will have to travel with their own blankets and bedsheets, said Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav on Saturday.

"We have decided to give a single-use bed to the passengers or the passengers can carry their own bedsheets and blankets even after the pandemic subsides. For this, a detailed policy has been formulated and a decision has been taken," Yadav told reporters.

He said that the Railways is putting efforts to maintain hygiene during the rail journey and the decision has been taken in line with those efforts.

He also rejected media reports that the railways may stop operating about 500 trains. He categorically stated that 'no decision has been taken to stop the operation of any train nor will any station be closed.'

He said that we are preparing 'Zero-Based Time Table' and taking the help of IIT Mumbai in it.

"It is also possible that some new trains would be introduced or the existing trains might be renamed or rescheduled," Yadav said.

The chairman also made it clear that the objective of bringing Zero Based Time Table is to make rail travel as convenient as possible and to provide congestion-free travel to passengers.