As IndiGo’s massive flight cancellations continue to disrupt travel across the country, the Indian Railways has stepped forward with urgent measures to handle the surge of stranded passengers. In a swift response to the unfolding crisis, Railways has added 116 extra coaches across 37 major trains, and approved five additional special train services under the Northern Railway zone.
The unprecedented rush began after IndiGo cancelled and delayed hundreds of flights, forcing thousands of travellers to scramble for alternative transport. To ease the pressure, Railways has deployed additional Sleeper, AC Chair Car, and General Second Class coaches across its busiest routes.
With 116 coaches added to 114 trips, each trip can now accommodate nearly 4,000 passengers, enabling Railways to carry a total of 4.89 lakh travellers during this emergency period. Officials also indicated that up to 30 new special trains, each with 18 coaches, may be introduced if passenger demand continues to rise.
Several high-demand trains between Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Alappuzha have been strengthened with extra Sleeper coaches. Among them:
- Chennai Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central Superfast Express (12695)
- Thiruvananthapuram Central–Chennai Central Superfast Express (12696)
- Chennai Egmore–Kollam Ananthapuri Express (20635)
- Kollam–Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Express (20636)
- Chennai Central–Alappuzha Superfast Express (22639)
- Alappuzha–Chennai Central Superfast Express (22640)
Additionally, the Thiruvananthapuram–Kozhikode and Kozhikode–Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express trains (12076 & 12075) will run with an extra AC Chair Car to manage the heavy booking load.
With the aviation sector struggling, the Railways’ timely intervention is providing a crucial lifeline for thousands of stranded passengers — ensuring continuity of travel during a nationwide transport crunch.
