The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website crashed after booking for tickets reopened for as many as 15 pairs of special trains on Monday. The website crashed after a surge in user traffic at 4 pm and after a delay of over two hours, it was back up again to take bookings for passenger trains which will run from Tuesday.
The Ministry of Railways had announced to start operations of 15 special trains (30 return journeys) from May 12 in a graded manner. Other regular passenger services including all express, passenger and suburban services will remain cancelled until further order.
The decision to restart train services was taken in consultation with Ministry of Health and Family welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry said in a statement.
“These special trains which have been started presently will have only air conditioned classes i.e. first, second and third AC. The fare structure for the “special trains” shall be as applicable for the regular time tabled Rajdhani trains (excluding catering charges),” it said.
Only online e-ticketing will be done through IRCTC website or through Mobile App and “Maximum Advance Reservation Period” (ARP) will be of maximum seven days, it added.
Only confirmed e-tickets shall be booked. Booking of RAC or waiting list ticket and on board booking by ticket checking staff shall not be permitted. Current booking, tatkal and premium tatkal booking shall not be permitted.
“No catering charges shall be included in the fare. Besides, provision for prepaid meal booking, e-catering shall be disabled.
However, the IRCTC shall make provision for limited eatables and packaged drinking water on payment basis. Information to this effect shall be made available to passengers during time of booking ticket,” it said.
Passengers are encouraged to carry their own food and drinking water. Dry, ready-to-eat food and bottled water shall be provided on demand, inside the trains on payment basis, it said. “All passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the train,” it added.