Special World Cup train amid skyrocketed airfares for Ahmedabad

Cricket enthusiasts embarked on a special train today from New Delhi to Ahmedabad, eager to witness the ICC World Cup 2023 final. The Central Railways on Friday announced it will run special World Cup trains for fans headed to Ahmedabad for the ICC World Cup final match scheduled on November 19.

Having won every match in the tournament, India has reached the finals of the ICC World Cup 2023 to face Australia, which has lost only two games so far — against India (by six wickets) and South Africa (by 34 runs).

According to railway officials, one train departed Delhi and three from Mumbai on Saturday evening, scheduled to reach Ahmedabad on Sunday morning.

India Today TV reached New Delhi railway station, where the New Delhi to Sabarmati train, originally scheduled to depart at 5:00 pm, left around 6:00 pm. Despite the delay, spirits among the thousands of fans from different corners of the country didn’t appear low.

Ankit, an IT professional from the United Kingdom, expressed, “As India won the semifinals, I booked tickets for India. I had no other choice but to reach Ahmedabad from Delhi, as all trains were booked, and airfares were skyrocketing.” Ankit added, “The airfare is more than my UK to India ticket.”

Airlines are responding to the surge in demand by deploying additional flights to and from Ahmedabad over the weekend, causing fares to surge.

A thick crowd at the station, with plenty cladding Team India’s jersey and waving Tricolour, cheered for their team.

“This train is a blessing. We are a group of 12 friends with match tickets, but we were struggling to secure train or flight tickets to reach Ahmedabad. This special train provides all of us seats in one go,” a passenger said.

When asked about his motivation, a fan with sketches of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, stated, “They are my favourites, and I am confident that India will lift this year’s World Cup trophy.”