In a swift response to a major travel disruption, Indian Railways has launched a large-scale operation to assist thousands of passengers left stranded due to mass cancellations of IndiGo flights and a sharp spike in airfares on other carriers. With travellers rushing to railway stations as an alternative, the national transporter is adding extra coaches and scheduling special services to manage the surge.
Immediate Measures: Coaches and Special Trains
The railway administration moved quickly to increase seating capacity. On Friday alone, 116 extra coaches were added to 37 different trains to boost accommodation availability. Simultaneously, the operation of six special trains was announced for the next two days. Officials have confirmed that more such special trains will be introduced shortly.
The plan is to significantly ramp up capacity. Railway sources indicate that around 30 new special trains, each comprising 18 coaches, will be pressed into service in the coming couple of days. These trains are estimated to have the capacity to carry over 30,000 passengers per trip.
Regional Railways Spring Into Action
Various railway zones across the country have been instructed to augment services on high-demand routes. Here is a breakdown of the actions taken:
- Southern Railways: Increased capacity on 18 trains by adding extra chair car and sleeper class coaches.
- Northern Railways: Added extra 3AC and CC coaches to eight trains. "Additional coaches are being deployed to ensure travellers are not stranded," stated Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway.
- Western Railways: Augmented four high-demand trains by adding 3AC and 2AC coaches.
- East Central Railway: Has augmented the Rajendra Nagar-New Delhi service with additional 2AC coaches over five trips between December 6 and 10.
- East Coast Railway: Increased capacity on Bhubaneswar-New Delhi services.
- Northeast Frontier Railway: Augmented two important trains with 3AC and Sleeper coaches over eight trips each from December 6 to 13.
A Strategic Plan for the Coming Days
This is not a short-term fix. Railway officials are formulating comprehensive strategies to handle the ongoing crisis. The goal is to facilitate the travel of over 20 lakh (2 million) additional passengers over the next 10 days. The immediate focus is on transporting an extra 35,000 passengers daily across various affected routes.
The massive cancellation of IndiGo flights has created an unprecedented demand for rail travel, and Indian Railways is leveraging its extensive network and rolling stock to provide relief. Passengers are advised to check the official railway websites and apps for real-time updates on the availability of these augmented and special services.
