The Indian Railways has declared that it will operate 89 special trains in the next three days starting Saturday, as it seeks to rescue thousands of travelers who had been trapped in different locations of the nation following the massive flight cancellations by IndiGo. These special trains will take over 100 journeys in total and this is known to have been organised in record time after a quick evaluation in the passenger traffic and congestion in the major metro cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna and Howrah.
The Railway Ministry has given a coordinated move and ordered all zonal railways to marshal all possible resources, including the provision of more coaches and locomotives or more manpower to facilitate smooth and safe running of these emergency services. According to Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, there is a possibility of increasing the number of special trains and trips, based on passenger load and real time traffic position. He also stated that the intention was to offer relief to lakhs of travellers who had been hit by the aviation turmoil.
The western railway has declared seven special trains with special fares. Such services will work on major routes such as Mumbai Central-New Delhi, Mumbai Central-Bhiwani, Mumbai Central-Shakur Basti, Bandra Terminus-Durgapura, Valsad-Bilaspur, Sabarmati-delhi and Sabarmati-Delhi Sarai Rohilla. It is projected that these trains will absorb a significant portion of the diverted traffic of the passengers in Mumbai and Gujarat.
In the meantime, South Central Railway has also intervened, stating that it would be operating four special trains to meet the high demand of passengers who have suddenly increased due to the massive cancellation of flights issued by IndiGo. More zones will also declare more services should the need arise.
As the airports approach a state of anarchy and extended waiting lines, the Railways fast-tracked response is expected to act as a national reliever strategy in the country, as it would make the passengers able to proceed with their travel plans with a minimum inconvenience.
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