Date error triggers chaos as Udyan Express rescheduling confuses passengers

Udyan Express runs between CSMT and Bengaluru. PIC/@indiarailinfo

A scheduling error linked to a wrong date update and premature passenger alerts triggered widespread confusion and delays on the Mumbai-Pune rail corridor on Tuesday morning, leaving passengers stranded. The 11301/11302 Udyan Express runs between Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Bengaluru.

According to officials, the Udyan Express was mistakenly rescheduled for December 24 instead of January 24, 2026, due to a data error. Although the mistake was corrected overnight, IRCTC SMS alerts had already been sent to passengers, triggering confusion at stations and on board. The reason for rescheduling in January is to facilitate non-interlocking (NI) work on the Daund Chord Line, officials said.

As a contingency measure, passengers who missed the Udyan Express were allowed to board the Koyna Express up to Karjat, from where they were to be transferred to the Udyan. While the Udyan Express departs from CSMT at 8.10 am, the Koyna Express departs at 8.40 am from CSMT.

For the convenience of passengers who missed the train, the Udyan Express was halted at Bhivpuri Road station. The passengers were then brought in the Koyna Express and made to board the missed train at Karjat. To enable this, the Udyan Express was looped at Bhivpuri Road station for nearly two hours.

While operations were eventually normalised, the episode has once again highlighted how a single digital error and poor real-time communication led to the problem.

SK Kumar, a commuter onboard the Udyan Express at Bhivpuri, not knowing about the communication fiasco and the error, said, "The train had been detained at Bhivpuri station for the past one and a half hours, probably for some VIP passenger. Local trains were flying past us, but our express was standing still. No clear announcement, only confusion."

Official Speak

"The Udyan Express was mistakenly rescheduled for December 24 instead of January 24, 2026. After realisation, it was restored overnight. However, the messages to passengers sent through IRCTC resulted in this issue. The leftover passengers boarded the Koyna Express and deboarded at Karjat. The Udyan Express was moved from Bhivpuri to Karjat, where the passengers boarded the same," a railway spokesperson said.