New Delhi, February 25: The Railways on Thursday said it will now enable the facility to book unreserved tickets through its UTS on Mobile app to decongest booking counters and to ensure smooth compliance of social distancing norms. The facility was discontinued when the coronavirus-triggered lockdown was imposed in the country last year.

"On Indian Railways, unreserved train services are being introduced ia n a phased manner. In order to avoid any inconvenience to passengers in booking unreserved tickets and to ensure norms of social distancing at booking counters while purchasing the tickets, it has been decided that in addition to UTS ON MOBILE App facility available on suburban sections, this facility may also be reintroduced on non-suburban sections of zonal Railways," a statement from the railway ministry said.

"Zonal Railways have been instructed that whenever unreserved train services are introduced on any zonal Railway, the zonal Railway concerned may accordingly enable UTS ON MOBILE app for issuing unreserved tickets," it added. Indian Railways Says ‘Slightly High Fare of Short Distance Trains To Discourage Unnecessary Travel Amid COVID-19 Pandemic’.

Currently, the Railways has operationalised almost 65 per cent of its mail and express trains and over 90 per cent of its suburban services as compared to the pre-lockdown levels. A total of 1,250 mail and express trains, 5,350 suburban trains and more than 326 passenger trains are currently in operation on a daily basis.

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