Northern Railways adds coaches on key routes as IndiGo cancels flights

New Delhi: The railways has stepped in to ease passenger movement as the ongoing IndiGo disruption continues to leave hundreds stranded across airports. The Northern Railways on Friday announced additional coaches on several trains to and from Delhi.

Which trains are getting extra coaches?

According to a spokesperson, the Northern Railways has added coaches “for passenger convenience.” An extra third AC (3A) coach has been added to the Jammu Tawi–New Delhi Rajdhani and the Dibrugarh–Delhi Rajdhani trains. An extra chair car coach has been introduced in the Delhi–Chandigarh Shatabdi and the Delhi–Amritsar Shatabdi trains.

“Further arrangements are under planning,” the spokesperson said, adding that details regarding train timings and the ticket booking window will be posted on the railways’ X handle.

What changes has DGCA announced?

Earlier on Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation withdrew instructions regarding published weekly rest. This allows airlines to use leave in place of weekly rest when required.

The decision comes as flight disruptions stretched into the fourth consecutive day, with nationwide cancellations crossing 500. IndiGo operator InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. continues to struggle with the government’s stricter crew safety and flight duty-time limitation norms.

Why were airlines urging the DGCA to reconsider?

Airlines had made representations to the DGCA about the weekly rest instructions. They highlighted operational disruptions and the need for continuity and stability in flying schedules. The DGCA has now decided that the earlier restriction was affecting operations, the aviation regulator said in its notice to all operators.

IndiGo has apologised to customers for the crisis, stating that it is rebooting all systems and schedules for “progressive improvement” starting Saturday.

How badly have ticket prices been hit?

Meanwhile, spot airfares across major routes have surged sharply. Same-day flight costs on popular routes, including Delhi to Mumbai, have risen to nearly Rs 50,000, even on airlines not directly impacted by the disruption, such as Air India and Akasa Air.

IndiGo, which operates more than 250 flights from Delhi, has cancelled all flights from the airport till midnight.