There is good news for passengers with disabilities. The Indian Railways has made an important change in its concession rules to make travel easier.
Now, a new system based on the Unique Disability ID (UDID) has been introduced. This will simplify the process of getting concessional tickets and reduce unnecessary hassle.
Under the new rules, UDID-based certificates will have longer validity. For passengers above 35 years of age, the certificate will be valid for a lifetime.
For those up to 25 years, it will be valid for 5 years, and for people aged between 26 and 35 years, the validity will be 10 years.
This change is expected to benefit thousands of disabled passengers, especially in Rajasthan.
No More Offline Hassle
Earlier, disabled passengers had to visit railway offices to get special ID cards for concession. The process was completely offline and often time-consuming.
Not only did this take effort and money, but these cards also needed renewal every five years, adding more inconvenience.
Now, the Railways has made the entire system digital. Passengers can use their UDID card to apply online for a concessional ID card. This makes the process faster, easier, and more convenient.
Easy Updates Only When Needed
Railway officials have clarified that updates will only be required in special cases.
For example, if there is any change in disability percentage, category, or personal details like name or address, passengers can update the information online. Otherwise, there is no need for frequent renewals.
AC Special Trains Announced for Summer
Apart from this, Railways has also announced special trains for summer travel.
Two AC special trains will run between Sabarmati and Asansol to handle the extra rush during holidays.
The Sabarmati–Asansol weekly AC train will depart from Sabarmati at 10:55 pm on April 17 and 24. It will reach Jaipur on Saturday morning at 8:30 am and then continue its journey to reach Asansol on Sunday at 1:15 pm.
On the return journey, the train will leave Asansol on April 19 and 26 at 4:10 pm. It will reach Jaipur on Monday at 8:30 pm and finally arrive at Sabarmati on Tuesday at 7:15 am.
The train will stop at several major stations including Mehsana, Palanpur, Abu Road, Falna, Marwar Junction, Beawar, Ajmer, Jaipur, Bandikui, Bharatpur, Achhnera, Idgah, and Tundla.
