In a swift move to address the travel chaos caused by widespread flight cancellations, the Western Railway has announced it will operate three special trains connecting key cities. This initiative aims to clear the significant rush of passengers stranded due to the ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo, India's largest domestic carrier.
Schedule and Routes of the Special Trains
The special services will run between December 7 and December 10, primarily comprising AC 3-tier coaches to accommodate the surge in demand. The railways have opened bookings for these trains to provide immediate relief.
The first service is the Sabarmati-Delhi Junction (09497) special train. This AC 3-tier only train will depart from Sabarmati Junction in Ahmedabad at 10.55 PM on December 7 and 9, reaching New Delhi at 3.15 PM the next day. Its return service, the Delhi Junction to Sabarmati (09498), will run on December 8 and 10, leaving Delhi at 9 PM and arriving in Ahmedabad at 12.20 PM the following day. This train will halt at Mehsana, Palanpur, Abu Road, Ajmer, Jaipur, Alwar, Rewari, Gurgaon, and Delhi Cantonment.
Connecting Mumbai with Delhi and Rajasthan
For passengers from Mumbai, the Mumbai Central-Shakur Basti Superfast Express (09003) will run on December 7 and 8. It departs Mumbai Central at 10.30 AM, reaching Shakur Basti at 8 AM the next day. This train has both AC 3-tier and sleeper class coaches. Its return counterpart, Shakur Basti-Mumbai Central (09004), will depart on December 8 and 9 at 10.15 AM, arriving in Mumbai at 10.30 AM the following day. Its route includes stops at Borivali, Palghar, Vapi, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara, Bharuch, Ratlam, Nagda, Kota, and several stations up to Delhi Safdarjang.
Additionally, a special train from Bandra Terminus to Durgapura in Rajasthan will also run. This service, with AC 3-tier and sleeper coaches, will operate from Durgapura on December 7 and from Bandra Terminus on December 8, passing through major Gujarat stations like Vapi, Valsad, Surat, and Vadodara.
Broader Context: IndiGo's Operational Disruptions
The railway's proactive step comes as IndiGo cancelled over 400 flights across major Indian airports like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad on Saturday alone. The cancellations, part of nationwide disruptions, have created an urgent need for alternative travel arrangements for thousands of passengers.
To further manage the situation, Western Railways has also begun augmenting existing high-demand trains in the region with additional AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier coaches from Saturday onwards, specifically for passenger movement towards New Delhi.
This travel crisis unfolds even as IndiGo recently secured temporary relaxations in the new court-mandated flight duty and rest period norms for its cockpit crew. However, the airline is currently focused on stabilizing its schedule, leading to a significant gap filled by the Indian Railways' timely intervention.
