Indian Railways Boosts Capacity with 116 New Coaches Amid Flight Cancellations

In light of a surge in passenger demand due to widespread flight cancellations, Indian Railways has introduced 116 additional coaches across 37 premium trains. This initiative, effective from December 6, 2025, aims to enhance travel capacity nationwide. The Southern Railway has made the most significant contributions, while other regions have also increased their services. Special trains are being operated to further support passenger needs. Discover how these changes will improve connectivity and travel experiences across the country.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 6, 2025, 10:30 IST

Increased Train Capacity to Meet Rising Demand

New Delhi: In response to a significant increase in passenger demand due to numerous flight cancellations, Indian Railways has introduced 116 additional coaches across 37 premium trains, resulting in 114 extra trips nationwide.

A statement from the Railway Ministry highlighted that the Southern Railway (SR) has made the most enhancements, adding capacity to 18 trains.

The ministry noted, "Additional Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches have been allocated to routes with high demand. These changes, effective from December 6, 2025, greatly increase accommodation in the southern region."

Following this, the Northern Railway (NR) has also added coaches to eight trains, including 3AC and Chair Car options, to improve availability on busy northern routes.

The Western Railway (WR) has responded by increasing four popular trains with 3AC and 2AC coaches, effective from December 6, to facilitate passenger movement from western areas to the capital.

Officials mentioned that the East Central Railway (ECR) has enhanced the Rajendra Nagar-New Delhi (12309) service with extra 2AC coaches for five trips between December 6-10, boosting capacity on this vital Bihar-Delhi route.

The East Coast Railway (ECOR) has also improved services between Bhubaneswar and New Delhi (Trains 20817/20811/20823) by adding 2AC coaches for five trips, enhancing connectivity between Odisha and the capital.

The Eastern Railway (ER) has implemented upgrades in three major trains, adding Sleeper Class coaches for six trips on December 7 and 8, to accommodate the rising regional and inter-state travel demand.

Additionally, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has enhanced two key trains with 3AC and Sleeper coaches for eight trips each from December 6-13, ensuring sufficient capacity for travelers in the Northeast.

To further assist passengers, Indian Railways is also running four special train services.

The Gorakhpur-Anand Vihar Terminal-Gorakhpur Special (05591/05592) will operate four trips from December 7 to 9. The New Delhi-Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan-New Delhi Reserved Vande Bharat Special (02439/02440) is scheduled for December 6, providing quick and comfortable access to the Jammu region.

To cater to the high demand for the western sector, the New Delhi-Mumbai Central-New Delhi Reserved Superfast Special (04002/04001) will run on December 6 and 7.

Furthermore, the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Thiruvananthapuram Central Reserved Superfast Special (04080) will operate one-way on December 6, offering long-distance connectivity to the southern region.