IndiGo meltdown: Railways to roll out special trains on key routes tomorrow | Full list here
The IndiGo crisis entered its sixth day on Sunday, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and leaving thousands of passengers stranded nationwide. In response, Indian Railways has launched emergency measures, including operating special trains and adding extra coaches on high-demand routes.
New Delhi: The IndiGo crisis stretched into its sixth consecutive day on Sunday, forcing India’s largest airline to cancel hundreds of flights yet again. The disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded across major airports, prompting Indian Railways to activate emergency measures to handle the sudden spike in demand.
To support affected travellers, the Railways has introduced a series of special services on high-traffic routes. Where operating new trains is not feasible, additional coaches are being attached to existing trains to accommodate more passengers.
NFR steps in with special services
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has also rolled out special trains beginning Monday. According to NFR CPRO Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, additional coaches of multiple classes have been attached to several trains. "The NFR has taken these initiatives in view of IndiGo flight cancellations," he said.
Sharma added that two special trains will operate on Monday—one from Dibrugarh to New Delhi and another from Guwahati to Howrah. "In addition, 20 coaches will be added to 18 different trains to reduce passenger congestion. These trains are running in different sectors," he noted.
Passengers seeking details about these services can visit the nearest railway station or call the Indian Railways helpline number 139. The helpline also provides information on trains receiving extra coaches.
IndiGo, meanwhile, cancelled 650 flights on Sunday but continued to operate around 1,650 flights.
89 special trains announced
In a significant nationwide response, Indian Railways has announced 89 special trains across all zones to run over the next three days, starting Saturday. These trains will make more than 100 trips and were planned at short notice following an assessment of travel pressure in major hubs such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna and Howrah.
Central Railway and Northern Railway have arranged 14 and 10 special services respectively, with officials saying the numbers may be increased as needed. Other zones have also released schedules and notifications for their special trains.
The coordinated move aims to ease the severe travel disruptions caused by the ongoing wave of IndiGo cancellations.