IndiGo Crisis: Railways To Run Special Vande Bharat Train On THIS Route For Stranded Passengers
Indian Railways has announced a special Vande Bharat train service between Delhi and Udhampur to help passengers affected by the IndiGo flight cancellations.
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The Jammu division of Northern Railway will operate a special Vande Bharat service between New Delhi and Udhampur for three days from December 12, providing an alternative travel option for passengers stranded at the Jammu and Srinagar airports after extensive IndiGo flight cancellations.
According to PTI, chaos unfolded at both airports in recent days as most IndiGo flights were cancelled, leading to protests by affected travellers. Indian Railways announced the temporary train service to ensure stranded passengers can reach their destinations without further delay.
The special trains, numbered 02439 (New Delhi-Udhampur Vande Bharat) and 02440 (Udhampur-New Delhi Vande Bharat), will run with 20 coaches and complete three trips in each direction between December 12 and December 14.
As per the schedule, Train No. 02439 will leave New Delhi at 6 a.m. and reach Udhampur at 2 p.m., with stops at Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Pathankot Cantt and Jammu Tawi, among other stations. Train No. 02440 will depart Udhampur at 3 p.m. and reach New Delhi at 11 p.m.
“Jammu Division operates special trains in emergencies for the convenience and safety of passengers. Currently, due to the increasing number of passengers as a result of frequent flight cancellations, the division has decided to operate a special Vande Bharat train between New Delhi and Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan (Udhampur),” PTI quoted senior divisional commercial manager Uchit Singhal as saying.
Passengers can verify train details through official sources, including the Indian Railways website and the NTES (National Train Enquiry System) app, before commencing travel.
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IndiGo Saga
The IndiGo crisis has now entered its second week. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday granted IndiGo’s CEO a one-day extension to submit a comprehensive report on recent operational disruptions.
IndiGo has been asked to provide detailed data covering flight restoration and its recruitment plans for pilots and crew. The airline is required to appear before the DGCA on December 11, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has instructed IndiGo to slash its winter capacity by 10%, cutting daily departures from 2,145 flights to about 1,930 amid the ongoing crisis. A 10% deduction in its winter flight operations would amount to a cut of some 220 flights per day.
As part of the winter schedule for 2025-26, the airline has been operating over 2,200 flights per day.
The latest order is part of a suite of actions by authorities that followed IndiGo, which controls over 65% of the market share, cancelling more than 4,000 flights since December 2 that left tens of thousands of passengers stranded, upending their vacation plans, important meetings and weddings.
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IndiGo Cancelled Flights
At Chennai Airport, 36 flights have been cancelled, with the airport citing “operational reasons” and advising passengers to check with their respective airlines for updates.
Coimbatore International Airport also reported cancellations, with six IndiGo flights grounded so far today.
In some relief for travellers, Tiruchirappalli International Airport confirmed that all IndiGo flight operations there have resumed.
The IndiGo crisis began on Dec. 2, with massive cancellations of flights across major domestic routes.
