IndiGo Crisis, Railways Rescue: Can Trains Become India’s Backup Plan for Air Travel?
New Delhi, December 5, 2025 | Prime Headlines:
As thousands of passengers remain stranded across airports in India after a wave of flight cancellations by IndiGo, a surprising hero from earlier this year has returned to public memory: Indian Railways.
Back in April, during Operation Sindoor, IPL teams were scheduled to fly from Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra Airport — but a sudden closure grounded all aircraft. Instead of long delays, the Railways deployed a special Vande Bharat Express from Una, transporting entire teams, support staff, broadcasters, equipment, and security safely to Delhi.
That moment now feels more significant than ever.
With more than 750 IndiGo flights cancelled and lakhs of travellers affected, frustration is boiling at major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Long queues, last-minute cancellations, and chaotic rescheduling have led to public outrage — and renewed debate on India’s overdependence on a single private airline.
Aviation Failure, Rail Opportunity?
Experts say the current disruption has exposed two realities:
India’s aviation sector lacks resilience.
The rail network, despite its challenges, offers scale and flexibility.
Vande Bharat and other premium services are increasingly being compared to short-haul flights — especially as airport delays and cancellations grow.
Transport analysts argue that reliable, high-speed rail could act as a parallel mobility backbone, supporting the aviation sector in emergencies — or even competing with it in certain corridors.
A Turning Point?
Whether this crisis pushes policymakers toward a serious rail-air integration strategy remains to be seen. But one thing is now clear:
When the skies shut down, India’s wheels — not wings — kept moving.
