IndiGo crisis: Southern Railway announces special trains, extra coaches to aid passengers
Chennai, Dec 7 (IANS) In a major relief to air travellers affected by widespread IndiGo flight cancellations, Southern Railway has announced the operation of special trains and temporary augmentation of coaches on several high-demand services across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
According to an official statement, three pairs of special express trains will be operated on December 7 and 8 to accommodate the sudden surge in passenger demand.
The Coimbatore-Dr MGR Chennai Central-Coimbatore Express Specials (Nos. 06024/06023) will run via Tirupur, Erode and Salem on both days. Similarly, the Thiruvananthapuram North-Chennai Egmore-Thiruvananthapuram North Express Specials (Nos. 06108/06107) will also be operated on December 7 and 8 via Podanur, Tirupur, Erode and Salem.
In addition, the Nagercoil-Tambaram-Nagercoil Superfast Specials (Nos. 06012/06011) will run on the same dates via Madurai, Dindigul and Tiruchirappalli.
These arrangements form part of a nationwide rail augmentation initiative following large-scale flight disruptions by IndiGo.
As per a press release from the Railway Ministry, a total of 37 trains across the country have been strengthened with 116 additional coaches, resulting in over 114 augmented trips. Extra chair car and sleeper class coaches have been deployed on routes witnessing exceptionally high passenger demand.
The temporary augmentation came into effect from Saturday and will remain in force till December 10 for most services, while a few trains will carry additional coaches till December 12.
The Jodhpur-Tiruchirappalli Humsafar Express (No. 20481) will receive one additional AC three-tier coach on December 10. Further, the Dr MGR Chennai Central-Coimbatore Shatabdi Express (No.
Its return service, the Coimbatore-Dr MGR Chennai Central Shatabdi Express (No. 12244), will also run with an additional chair car. Additionally, three trains starting on December 7 -- the Salem-Chennai Egmore Express (No. 22154), the Erode-Dr MGR Chennai Central Yercaud Superfast Express (No. 22650), and the Alappuzha-Dr MGR Chennai Central Superfast Express (No.
Railway officials said these measures aim to ensure uninterrupted passenger movement and reduce travel hardships caused by the sudden disruption in air services.
--IANS
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