To facilitate the huge number of stranded passengers who have missed their flights because of IndiGo’s widespread cancellation of flights, Indian Railways has run 89 special trains which will make over 100 trips across zones from the 17 of this month. Railway services may be increased further depending on the level of demand.
There are seven special fare services to be operated by the Western Railway, with Mumbai Central-New Delhi route leading. Other routes are Mumbai Central-Bhiwani, Mumbai Central-Shakur Basti, Bandra Terminus-Durgapura, Valsad-Bilaspur, Sabarmati-Delhi, and Sabarmati-Delhi Sarai Rohilla. More services might be put in place as the demand grows.
Central Railway projects the largest number, 14 and will offer additional stops in Mumbai (CSMT) and Lucknow. The links are Pune-Bengaluru, Pune-Hazrat Nizamuddin, LTT-Madgaon, CSMT-Hazrat Nizamuddin, LTT-Lucknow, Nagpur-CSMT, Gorakhpur-LTT, and Bilaspur-LTT. The respective zones are going to publish schedules with train timings.
The South Eastern Railway is going to put in place these following operations to the front overload, respectively, Santragachi-Yelahanka, Howrah-CSMT, and Cherlapalli-Shalimar, the same number of services for each corridor. The Airports Authority has been notified to put up the schedules so that the passengers may be made aware.
Railways in the South Central region have recently issued notices of the proposed enhancement of services for the sector, viz., Cherlapalli – Shalimar, Secunderabad – Chennai Egmore and Hyderabad – Mumbai LTT. The management’s forward-looking view towards the traffic today can be better supported by making use of the Hyderabad and Telangana hubs’ demand patterns for additional trips.
The Eastern Railway will introduce specials between Howrah, Sealdah, and the most important cities. Recent trains include Howrah-New Delhi and Sealdah-LTT trains to strengthen the eastern-northern and eastern-western connections, which will help reduce the mess in the air sector.
Northern Railway has planned for 10 special trains to meet the transportation need to and from Delhi. Along with North Central Railway, North Western Railway has also come up with special fare trains on one trip including Durgapura Bandra Terminus.
To ease winter trips from Bihar, East Central Railway schedules trains from Patna and Darbhanga to Anand Vihar Terminal manifested. Measures taken by additional services from Gorakhpur will ensure north-bound flows to be served. A Durg-Hazrat Nizamuddin special has been announced for the weekends as well.
How passengers can stay updated
Passengers are reminded to go through the information on the coach composition, timings, and booking availability available on IRCTC and zonal railway websites. In case last minute changes occur or any crowd management advisory is issued, the latest news can be tracked through the already verified social media handles and the 139 helpline.
Information on the special trains is being broadcast by several cities’ airports through announcements and display boards. Travelers who cannot get on the already too much filled flights are advised to check the availability of railway tickets at the major stations, in order to get the real-time information and waitlist status.
Railways has announced 89 #SpecialTrain Services in next 3 days across multiple zones starting today.
The special trains have been announced in the wake of widespread flight cancellation and additional rush during the #winter season. The move is aimed at supporting smooth… pic.twitter.com/mcTaz40tnH
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 6, 2025
Fares, capacity, and travel tips
Because of operational pricing, a few services are being operated with special fares. There are similar but amplified needs in the winter season and spillovers from the cancellation of the IndiGo flights, which are waiting to be met. It has been noted that making early reservations, considering other stations for boarding, and being open to time changes are some things that can help make the waiting-list to confirmation wait a little shorter.
If anyone is taking the luggage with them after the airline operations’ disturbance, it is better to reach the stations early and take the assistance of allowed porters if any. Be prepared with the digital copies of the tickets and IDs and comply with the platform instructions to avoid the rush especially at the major interchange points.
What is the change for the passengers
By introducing the special services, Indian Railways will bring a temporary and immediate solution to the overwhelming demands on major rail routes at cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Patna, and likewise. The quick and aggressive deployment that the system has done showcases the ease with which a sudden demand can be taken up and the travel of the most essential people can be continued even during the disruptions in the aviation industry.
Railroads are the best solution for time-sensitive travelers as they are more reliable and punctual.
Prospect
Effective monitoring of passenger distribution in winding and flexible city routes and slight adjustments to train schedules will be made by the authorities. The continued cancellation of train routes will make the expansion of the train route and further information sharing inevitable. Intercity travel for those left stranded and looking for a cheap, adequate and safe way to get home, will be made possible using the 89 special trains.
