IndiGo flight disruptions cause severe rail congestion; passengers face overcrowded platforms and limited seats on Delhi- and Mumbai-bound trains.

The ongoing crisis impacting IndiGo flight  has resulted in significant congestion on the rail network, rendering travel to Delhi and Mumbai progressively more challenging. Despite efforts by the North Eastern Railway (NER), passengers continue to experience severe deficits of confirmed tickets, resulting in disorderly scenes at stations in Gorakhpur and Varanasi.

1. Inadequate Special Train Services

In response to the increased demand, NER conducted a total of eight clone special trains destined for Delhi and Mumbai:

• Four entities originating from the headquarters in Gorakhpur.
• Four individuals originating from Varanasi.

Nevertheless, these procedures have demonstrated to be inadequate. All special trains were completely scheduled without delay as soon as reservations opened. Passengers who postponed their bookings were unable to secure verified seats, and the demand for supplementary special trains continues to increase.

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2. Critical Availability Status (Through December 24)

A “No Room” status is presently in effect for nearly all classes of trains bound for Delhi and Mumbai. The competition for reservations has led to the following status updates for the primary express trains:

12555 Gorakhdham Express:

Sleeper and AC Second Class: No availability until December 15.

AC Third Class: Waiting list of 135 for December 11.

22537 Kushinagar Express: Unavailability of Accommodation in Sleeper and AC Second Class until December 24.

Avadh Express: No reservations are available in any class until December 24.

3. Current Conditions: Turmoil on Platform 9

The current situation at the site, especially concerning the Gorakhdham Express at Platform Number 9, remains critical:

• Overcrowding: Extended lineups continue without any indication of decreasing. Even after several hours of waiting, numerous passengers remain unable to obtain seats.
• General Coaches: Due to the absence of available seating, passengers are compelled to remain standing in the aisles and vicinity of the entrances.
• Lack of Support: Passengers have reported challenges concerning ticketing, seat assignment, and insufficient guidance on the platform.

4. Administrative Procedures

To oversee the increasing throngs and support passengers, the station management has enacted the following measures:

Staff Deployment: In addition to the numerous security personnel already present on site, two employees from the commercial department have been expressly assigned to assist passengers of the Gorakhdham Express with ticket-related inquiries.

Reorganization of the Ticket Counter:

North Gate (Platform 9): The general ticket counter will now be closed overnight (from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am) as it remains unstaffed during these hours.

Main Gate: In response to the high volume of visitors at the main entrance, an extra ticket counter will be established to assist passengers.