Indian Railways to resume providing linen, blankets inside trains

In a major relief to passengers, the railways on Thursday issued orders to resume providing linen, blankets and curtains inside trains, a provision that was suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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In a major relief to passengers, the Railways on Thursday issued orders to resume the service of providing linen, blankets and curtains inside trains, a provision that was suspended due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an order issued to general managers of all railway zones, the Railway Board said the supply of these items will resume with immediate effect.

The linen will include pillows, blankets, sheets and towels in a sealed cover.

The national transporter, which had also suspended the service of providing meals and most of its concessions on tickets, has reintroduced majority of the facilities.

The concessions on tickets for passengers remain suspended.

In an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Railways had announced in May 2020 that it would not provide blankets and curtains in air-conditioned coaches of all trains. Passengers were advised to bring their own blankets on long journeys.

It had instructed that the minimum temperature in train coaches be set at 24-25 degrees Celsius.

However, the Railways had made arrangements to provide blankets to passengers on demand and some bedsheets were kept for exigencies.