No blankets in AC coaches even after pandemic subsides: Railway Board chief

The railway passengers traveling in AC Coaches will have to travel with their own blankets and bedsheets "even after the pandemic subsides", said Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav on Saturday.

During an interaction with reporters here, Yadav said, "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 said that the Railways is putting efforts to maintain hygiene during the rail journey. Therefore, such a decision has been taken.

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.