IndiGo Crisis: How Indian Railways Stepped Up With Extra Coaches, Special Trains Amid Widespread Flight Cancellations

Amid widespread IndiGo flight cancellations, Indian Railways has deployed 116 extra coaches and operated special trains across the country, ensuring smooth travel and timely connectivity for stranded passengers on high-demand routes.

In view of the sudden surge in passenger demand caused by widespread flight cancellations across the country, Indian Railways has taken swift measures to ensure smooth travel and adequate accommodation for stranded passengers. A total of 116 additional coaches have been deployed across 37 premium trains, operating over 114 augmented trips nationwide. The Railway Ministry highlighted that these measures aim to cater to travellers who have turned to rail transport due to the ongoing disruptions in air travel. The initiative includes enhancements on high-demand routes spanning the southern, northern, western, eastern, and northeastern regions, along with the operation of special trains to provide fast and convenient connectivity for long-distance passengers.

Southern Railway Leads With Maximum Augmentations

The Southern Railway (SR) has carried out the highest number of augmentations, expanding capacity on 18 trains. Additional Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches have been deployed on busy routes, effective from 6 December 2025. According to the Ministry, these enhancements significantly improve passenger accommodation in the southern region, particularly on popular intercity and long-distance services.

Northern And Western Regions See Key Coach Additions

Northern Railway (NR) has introduced additional 3AC and Chair Car coaches on eight trains, enhancing availability on major northern corridors. Similarly, Western Railway (WR) has strengthened four high-demand trains by adding 3AC and 2AC coaches.

The augmentations, effective from 6 December, are intended to facilitate strong passenger movement from western regions to the national capital. In addition, WR will attach extra AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier coaches to trains such as the New Delhi–Lucknow and Mumbai Central–New Delhi Express between 6–10 December to manage the high passenger influx.

Eastern And Northeastern Railways Enhance Capacity

East Central Railway (ECR) has strengthened the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi (12309) service with additional 2AC coaches over five trips between 6–10 December, improving connectivity on the Bihar–Delhi sector. East Coast Railway (ECOR) has similarly augmented Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services (Trains 20817/20811/20823) by adding 2AC coaches over five trips, providing better connectivity between Odisha and the capital. 

Eastern Railway (ER) has introduced Sleeper Class coaches across six trips on 7–8 December to meet inter-state travel demand, while Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has enhanced two trains with 3AC and Sleeper coaches over eight trips from 6–13 December, ensuring uninterrupted travel options for passengers in the Northeast.

Special Train Services To Clear Extra Rush

In addition to coach augmentations, Indian Railways is operating four special train services to further support passengers. The Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur Special (05591/05592) will run four trips from 7–9 December. The New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi Reserved Vande Bharat Special (02439/02440) will operate on 6 December, providing rapid connectivity to the Jammu region.

For passengers travelling towards western India, the New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi Reserved Superfast Special (04002/04001) will operate on 6–7 December, and the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central Reserved Superfast Special (04080) will run one-way on 6 December for long-distance southern travel. Central Railway (CR) will also run six special trains on 6–7 December on key routes including Pune–SMVT Bengaluru, Pune–New Delhi, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Madgaon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus–New Delhi, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Lucknow, and Nagpur–CSMT to clear passenger congestion.

Air Travel Disruptions Lead To Surge In Rail Bookings

The urgent augmentation measures come after major disruptions in the aviation sector. IndiGo, which operates roughly two-thirds of domestic flights, cancelled over 1,000 flights on Friday alone, affecting around 2,300 scheduled services nationwide. Airports were thrown into chaos as passengers faced delays, baggage issues, and rising airfares, prompting many to seek rail alternatives. Indian Railways’ proactive steps, including the deployment of additional coaches and the operation of special services, aim to provide safe, comfortable, and timely travel for passengers amid this unprecedented surge in demand.