Flight Chaos: Indian Railways Steps In as IndiGo Cancellations Leave Passengers Stranded

Amid a wave of flight cancellations by IndiGo, Indian Railways has stepped up to ensure that passengers facing travel disruptions can still reach their destinations. The South Central Railway (SCR) announced on Saturday that it would operate four special trains to handle the surge in demand, providing crucial alternatives to travelers stranded by canceled flights.

The SCR stated that the special trains would connect Hyderabad with Chennai, Mumbai, and Shalimar (Kolkata) today, aiming to ease the overcrowding at the airport and provide smoother travel options.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport witnessed significant disruption as IndiGo canceled 43 outbound flights on Saturday, with an additional 26 incoming flights also expected to be canceled. The cancellations created long queues and frustration at the airport, with passengers scrambling for information.

“This is completely unacceptable! I completed Digiyatra and got a message that my departure was rescheduled, but when I reached Hyderabad airport, I was told at the security checkpoint that my IndiGo flight was canceled,” wrote Tarun Singha, former spokesperson for India’s Ministry of Defence, in a post on X.

Another passenger expressed frustration, saying, “Unless someone raises their voice, nothing gets done. At Hyderabad Airport, there was no staff and no flight updates for an hour. Only after a fellow passenger started shouting on the mic did an IndiGo staff member finally appear.”

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers addressed the crisis in a video message, apologizing for the inconvenience and stating that the airline was expecting fewer than 1,000 flights on Saturday due to operational disruptions.

Railways Steps Up With Extra Coaches

In response to the flight disruptions, Indian Railways had already deployed 116 extra coaches on 37 trains across various zones on Friday, accommodating passengers who had to find alternative travel options. Northern Railways also announced five special trains and is preparing more services to manage the heavy passenger traffic.

The additional coaches include Sleeper, AC Chair Car, and General Second Class segments, depending on route requirements. The augmented trips collectively provide seating for up to 4,000 passengers per trip, totaling 4,89,288 passengers. Further plans include 30 new special trains with 18 coaches each, able to carry 30,780 passengers per trip. Across 57 trips, these trains will support 21,16,800 travelers, bringing the total capacity to approximately 35,000 passengers daily and ensuring connectivity for nearly 26 lakh passengers during this period.

Zone-Wise Enhancements

Southern Railway: Added the largest number of extra coaches, enhancing 18 trains with Sleeper and Chair Car options, effective from 6 December.

Northern Railway: Increased capacity on eight trains with additional 3AC and Chair Car coaches to relieve congestion on busy routes.

Western Railway: Added 2AC and 3AC coaches to four trains, supporting travel between Western states and Delhi.

East Central Railway: Strengthened the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi route with extra 2AC coaches on five trips from 6–10 December.

East Coast Railway: Added 2AC coaches on Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services over five trips to improve long-distance connectivity from Odisha.

Eastern Railway: Included Sleeper coaches on three trains over six trips on 7 and 8 December to handle regional travel demand.

Northeast Frontier Railway: Expanded two key trains with extra Sleeper and 3AC coaches over eight trips each to maintain steady capacity in the Northeast.

Special Trains Rolled Out

To further reduce congestion, Indian Railways is running four special trains, including services between Gorakhpur and Delhi, New Delhi and Jammu, New Delhi and Mumbai, and a long-distance Delhi–Thiruvananthapuram service.

With these measures, Railways aims to provide a reliable alternative for passengers affected by the IndiGo disruptions, ensuring that thousands can reach their destinations despite widespread flight cancellations.