AMBALA (Satish Handa): As a result of increasing cases of Carona virus limited numbers of passengers are travelling in Shatabdi and special trains with only 25% occupancy and in most of the trains seats are seen lying vacant causing heavy financial loss to railways. There was always a long waiting list in Shatabdi and other special trains in Northern Railway and passengers had to wait for confirmed tickets Sameer Sharma PRO Ambala Rail Division told that most of the passengers are avoiding to travel in the trains due to fast spreading Crona virus at present and even Shatabdi trains are running with nearly 70-75% vacant seats.
A survey of nearly a dozen trains running in this area revealed, Golden Temple special train running between Amritsar and Mumbai usually remained over crowded with passengers in past now running with over 30% vacant seats these days incurring loss to railways. Among other affected trains include train no. 12005 running between New Delhi to Kalka, 12006 running between Kalka to New Delhi, 2045 running between New Delhi to Chandigarh, 2046 running between Chandigarh to New Delhi, 2057 and 2058 Una Himachal Jan Shatabdi, 12014 Amritsar Shatabdi, 12029 and 12030 Swaran Shatabdi, 22439 New Delhi Vande Bharat, 22440 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in which usually 75% seats remain unoccupied at present.
