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New Delhi: Indian Railways has moved swiftly to accommodate a sudden spike in demand after widespread flight cancellations as the IndiGo crisis left thousands of travellers seeking last-minute alternatives. To cope with the surge, the national transporter has introduced 116 additional coaches across 37 premium trains, covering 114 enhanced trips nationwide.
The Railway Ministry said the decision was taken after passenger loads rose sharply on long-distance and high-demand routes, particularly in the wake of severe disruptions in air travel. The expanded rail capacity is aimed at preventing overcrowding, reducing waitlist numbers and offering passengers more certainty during a period of widespread travel uncertainty.
According to the ministry, the Southern Railway has carried out the largest share of these capacity enhancements, responding to some of the heaviest demand patterns in the country. Officials said the zone expanded capacity in 18 premium trains, making it the biggest contributor to the nationwide augmentation effort.
"Additional Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches have been deployed on high-demand routes. These augmentations, implemented from December 6 onward, substantially expand accommodation capacity in the southern region," the note said. Railway officials added that many of these trains serve major intercity corridors where bookings surged shortly after airlines began grounding or rescheduling services.
The ministry said Northern Railway has also pushed through significant measures to ease the sudden pressure on its network. "Northern Railway (NR) follows with augmentations on eight trains, adding 3AC and Chair Car coaches. These measures implemented today onwards enhance availability on heavily travelled northern corridors." With several flights to and from Delhi cancelled over the past few days, northbound trains witnessed a steep rise in demand, prompting immediate intervention.
| Zone / Category | Trains Involved | Additional Coaches / Type | Trips / Dates | Key Routes / Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Railway (SR) | 18 trains | Chair Car, Sleeper | From 6 Dec 2025 | High-demand southern routes; highest augmentations |
| Northern Railway (NR) | 8 trains | 3AC, Chair Car | From 6 Dec 2025 | Heavy-traffic northern corridors |
| Western Railway (WR) | 4 trains | 3AC, 2AC | From 6 Dec 2025 | Strong passenger movement towards Delhi |
| East Central Railway (ECR) | Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi (12309) | 2AC | 5 trips (6–10 Dec 2025) | Enhanced capacity on Bihar–Delhi sector |
| East Coast Railway (ECOR) | 20817 / 20811 / 20823 | 2AC | 5 trips | Bhubaneswar–New Delhi connectivity strengthened |
| Eastern Railway (ER) | 3 trains | Sleeper Class | 6 trips (7–8 Dec 2025) | Increased regional/inter-state demand |
| Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) | 2 trains | 3AC, Sleeper | 8 trips each (6–13 Dec 2025) | Steady capacity for Northeast travellers |
| Special Train: Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur | 05591/05592 | — | 4 trips (7–9 Dec 2025) | Additional capacity for east-north travel |
| Special Vande Bharat: New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi | 02439/02440 | — | 6 Dec 2025 | High-speed connectivity to Jammu region |
| Special Superfast: New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi | 04002/04001 | — | 6–7 Dec 2025 | Extra services on high-demand western corridor |
| Special Superfast: Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central | 4080 | — | One-way on 6 Dec 2025 | Long-distance southern connectivit |
Western Railway has focused its efforts on routes linking key cities in the western region with the national capital. According to the statement, the zone has increased the capacity of four high-demand trains by introducing additional 3AC and 2AC coaches, with the changes coming into effect from December 6. The ministry noted that these enhancements were designed to support strong passenger movement from states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra towards Delhi, especially as travellers sought alternatives to disrupted flights.
Railway officials said the augmentation drive may continue if demand remains elevated. Monitoring teams in each zone have been asked to track booking patterns closely and recommend further additions where necessary. The ministry added that capacity expansion across multiple zones displays the system’s ability to respond quickly during large-scale travel disruptions, offering passengers a dependable backbone of mobility when other modes falter.
