(Image source from: Theprint.in)

Passengers on the waiting list now get a chance to board the similar train with the same train number, interested?

To aid the passengers and the migrant workers, Indian railways has come up with a new scheme called Clone Train.

In the wake of lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic, passenger trains are shut and special trains in limited numbers are being operational. But, what if those trains are not enough, will Indian Railways break the social distancing rules?

Absolutely NO! Amid the instructions from the central government to follow social distancing in the trains, only a limited number of seats are being allowed for bookings which is harming many passengers recently.

Indian Railways faces huge demand on certain routes and there's shortage of berths.

In order to eliminate the difficulty, Indian Railways will now run a clone train or duplicate train with the same number for all those passengers whose booking is under the  waiting list.

Here's everything you need to know:

●    Clone trains will be run in the routes that generally see high traffic.

●    Railways will monitor the current routes to see which of them have long waiting list to determine the necessity of clone trains in the routes.

●    Whenever the waiting list is too long, a parallel clone train will be deployed.

●    The clone trains will begin the operations in the next 15 days.

●    The clone train will have the same train number as the actual train.

●    The stoppages of the clone trains will be lesser than the original trains.

●    These trains will stop only at the major stations to meet the demands of the people.

●    The waitlisted passengers will be informed about their berth numbers in the clone trains as soon as the reservation chart for the original train is taken out four hours before the departure.

●    The clone trains will be primarily 3AC trains and will run ahead of the already operational trains.

●    A clone train will be made operational when the waiting list crosses 400 in the sleeper class, 300 in 3AC chair and 100 in second class.

●    The railways will require additional takes for running the clone trains so these trains will run only in major cities where there are additional rakes.

●    Earlier option of Vikalp scheme too continues where the passengers can book for an alternate train if their waiting list tickets do not get confirmed.

●    The traveling time for a clone train will also be reduced as there will be less stoppages.

●    Only waitlisted passengers will be allowed to board the clone trains.

Indian railways has suspended all the passenger trains in March due to the nationwide lockdown and in the wake of coronavirus. 80 more special trains will be made operational from September 12 in addition to the 230 special trains that are plying.

- By Gayatri Yellayi