Indian Railways intensifies cleanliness and sanitization drives in trains and stations! The Eastern Railway zone had intensified cleanliness as well as sanitization drives in long-distance trains, short-distance trains, suburban trains, special trains, and the railway station premises in Howrah and Sealdah railway divisions in a bid to contain COVID-19, according to an IE report. Eastern Railways said that mechanized cleaning of station platforms, rail tracks, adjacent areas are regularly being done with high-pressure jets and scrubber machines. Also, to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, sanitization of station platforms is being carried out. The zonal railway further urged all passengers to follow COVID-19 rules such as wearing masks, keeping sanitizers, maintaining social distancing and avoiding train journeys if they feel unwell.
In order to facilitate railway passengers to maintain social distancing in the wake of COVID-19 as well as to reduce queue in front of ticket counters at railway stations, the ‘UTS on Mobile’ App Ticketing System for railway travel within suburban areas was restored by the national transporter from 6 March 2021. Indian Railways’ Unreserved Ticketing System allows railway passengers to buy tickets through digital transactions and without the need to stand in front of the station ticket counters.
Up to 28 February 2021, as many as 44.58 lakh of railway passengers availed the UTS Mobile App ticketing system, according to Eastern Railways. The Howrah and Sealdah divisions of the Eastern Railway zone earned an amount of Rs 1.8 crores from the UTS on Mobile App. The resumption of UTS mobile application for travel within suburban areas fulfilled the long-standing aspirations of passengers. The Eastern Railway also requested all the passengers to use the benefit of the UTS mobile app in order to maintain safe distancing in railway station premises as a precaution against novel coronavirus as well as to avail 5 per cent bonus on the recharge value.