A thick, suffocating blanket of dense fog has virtually paralyzed the railway network across northern India, leading to widespread chaos and leaving thousands of passengers stranded in bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures. The severe drop in visibility has forced massive delays and a slew of cancellations, disrupting travel plans during the peak winter season.
Massive Delays Grip Long-Distance and Premium Trains
The impact was felt across all categories of trains. Long-distance services experienced staggering delays of up to seven hours. Even flagship premium trains were not spared. The Vande Bharat Express services were among those forced off the schedule. The Jammu Tawi Humsafar Express was one of the worst affected, running approximately six and a half hours late. Other major trains like the Amritsar Jallianwala Bagh Express, Saryu Yamuna Express, and Hirakud Express faced delays ranging from nearly four to three and a half hours.
The disruption extended to other key routes. The Sarbat Da Bhala Express ran over two and a half hours behind, while the Jan Nayak Express and the Amritsar Vande Bharat Express were delayed by about two hours. Services including the Paschim Superfast Express, Indore-Amritsar Express, Golden Temple Mail, and Amritsar Jansadharan Express all lagged by more than an hour.
Widespread Cancellations Add to Passenger Woes
For many, delays turned into complete travel derailment as numerous trains were cancelled outright. The New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express was cancelled for the day. This was followed by cancellations of the Amritsar Express, Amritsar-Hisar Express, and Jalandhar City Intercity Express. The list grew to include the Delhi Sarai Rohilla Duronto Express, Nangal Dam Express, Kalka Express, and Agra Cantt Express.
Short-distance and passenger train services bore the brunt of the weather shutdowns. A series of local links remained cancelled, severely affecting regional commuters. The cancelled services included:
- Ludhiana-Jakhal Express
- Sirsa-Ludhiana Express
- Hisar-Ludhiana Passenger
- Ludhiana-Churu Passenger
- Ludhiana-Ambala Cantt Passenger
This mass cancellation left people with few alternatives in the harsh winter.
Passengers Endure Frustration and Biting Cold
At station platforms, frustration mounted alongside the falling temperatures. Stranded passengers huddled under blankets for protection against the piercing wind. Varinder, a local resident waiting with his family, shared his distress. He mentioned that despite checking the train's status before leaving home, the service was further delayed by an hour upon arrival. He described the ordeal of waiting in the extreme cold with his family as "very inconvenient."
Railway officials have attributed the crisis to near-zero visibility in several sectors, which forced locomotive pilots to drastically reduce speeds for safety. With a persistent cold wave compounding the situation, officials warn that the scheduling chaos is unlikely to ease until weather conditions improve.
Railway authorities have strongly advised all passengers to check the live running status of their trains before starting their journey, as fog-related disruptions are expected to continue. While operations may gradually normalize once visibility improves, travelers are urged to remain prepared for further delays and potential cancellations during this ongoing severe winter spell.
