Indian Railways has stepped up to provide passengers with alternative travel options following widespread flight cancellations by IndiGo, the country’s largest airline. According to an official statement, 37 trains across India will run with additional coaches and trips to ease pressure on airports experiencing high demand. A total of 116 extra coaches have been deployed across Sleeper, Chair-car, second-AC, and third-AC categories, offering passengers more reserved seating options.
A chair-car coach accommodates 78 reserved seats, while a third-AC coach provides 72 berths. Specific additions include an extra second-AC coach on the Mumbai Central–New Delhi Rajdhani Express for five trips until December 10 and another coach on the Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express between Sabarmati and Delhi. The Guwahati–Sairang Express has received one third-AC and one sleeper coach until December 13.
Northern Railways has added a third-AC coach to both the Jammu Rajdhani and Dibrugarh Rajdhani, along with chair-car coaches to the Chandigarh and Amritsar Shatabdi services. Western Railways has added a third-AC coach to the Lucknow AC Super Fast Express and five sleeper coaches to the Dr. MGR Chennai Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central Superfast Express until December 11.
Railway officials emphasized that adjusting coach composition and deploying standby rakes is a routine practice to manage sudden demand spikes. “Protocols are in place to handle unexpected surges, with trains ready for immediate deployment,” a senior official said.
IndiGo, which controls over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, has cancelled thousands of flights in recent days due to a critical pilot shortage. The airline has halted departures from major hubs, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, as part of a reset plan agreed with government officials. Flight cancellations continued for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.
