In response to widespread flight cancellations by IndiGo, Indian Railways has stepped in to alleviate passenger disruptions by adding 116 extra coaches to 37 trains across the country. This measure aims to accommodate the surge in demand for alternative travel options, providing relief to thousands of passengers stranded due to the airline's operational issues.
The Railway Ministry's decision comes as IndiGo faces a crisis with over 400 flights canceled, leaving passengers facing long delays, chaotic airport scenes, and complaints of misplaced baggage. The disruptions, which have entered their fourth day, have prompted the Railway Ministry to act in order to ease the burden on travelers.
The additional coaches are being deployed across multiple zones, with the Southern Railway receiving the largest boost, increasing capacity on 18 trains. These additions include extra Sleeper and Chair Car coaches on routes that typically experience heavy passenger traffic. The Northern Railway has added 3AC and Chair Car coaches to eight trains to reduce congestion on busy northern routes. The Western Railway has also increased capacity by adding 2AC and 3AC coaches to four trains. These changes, effective from December 6, 2025, are intended to support travel between Western states and Delhi. East Central Railway has added extra 2AC coaches to the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi route over five trips between December 6 and 10. East Coast Railway has attached additional 2AC coaches to Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services across five trips.
Northern Railways is also operating five special trains to manage the increased demand. According to railway officials, the 116 coaches have been added through 114 augmented trips, potentially carrying up to 4,000 passengers per trip and accommodating approximately 489,288 passengers overall. Further plans are underway to introduce 30 new special trains, each with 18 coaches, capable of carrying 30,780 passengers per trip. Across 57 trips, these trains are expected to serve 2,116,800 travelers. Overall, these arrangements are projected to handle 35,000 passengers daily, ensuring connectivity for nearly 2.6 million passengers during this period.
Western Railway will operate a Train on Demand special service between Sabarmati and Delhi, running four trips between December 7 and 10. This train, numbered 09497/09498, will depart Sabarmati at 10:55 pm and arrive in Delhi at 3:15 pm, with the return service leaving Delhi at 9 pm and reaching Sabarmati at 12:20 pm. Featuring AC 3-tier coaches and multiple stops, the train covers a distance of 925 km, and bookings commenced on December 6 via PRS counters and IRCTC.
The trains with the increased number of coaches will operate as long as the disruptions persist. The 37 premium trains with increased coaches will originate from major railway junctions across cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Jammu Tawi, Patna, Howrah, and Chennai, providing connectivity to various cities.
The Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, attributed the IndiGo flight cancellations to the airline's crew mismanagement under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules. Despite consultations and smooth adjustments by other airlines like Air India and SpiceJet, IndiGo reportedly failed to manage its crew transitions effectively. The ministry has granted IndiGo temporary relief from certain FDTL norms to stabilize operations.
IndiGo has apologized for the disruptions and assured passengers that full refunds will be automatically processed to the original mode of payment. The airline is also providing a full waiver for cancellations or rescheduling of bookings made between December 5 and 15, 2025.
