Passengers traveling from Odisha to northern parts of India are facing severe disruptions and extended delays as dense fog blankets the region, severely impacting railway schedules. Multiple long-distance trains originating from Bhubaneswar and Puri have been rescheduled or are running several hours behind schedule, causing significant inconvenience to travelers during the holiday season.
Major Trains Rescheduled and Delayed
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has officially rescheduled the departure timings of several important trains to manage the cascading effect of the fog. The Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal (New Delhi) Express, which usually departs at 9:55 PM, was rescheduled to leave at 10:55 PM on Sunday. In a more drastic change, the Puri-Rishikesh Kalinga Utkal Express was scheduled to depart at 2:30 AM on Monday, a significant shift from its normal 8:45 PM Sunday departure.
The premium Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express saw its Monday departure pushed from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Superfast Express and the Puri-Durg Express have also been rescheduled, with the latter's departure moved from 7:10 PM to 9:30 PM on Sunday due to late-running connecting services.
Passengers Bear the Brunt of Travel Woes
The delays have had real consequences for passengers, disrupting travel plans and causing emotional and logistical stress. Jitendra Debata, a traveler from Bhubaneswar, shared his ordeal as the Rajdhani Express reached New Delhi at 3:13 PM instead of its scheduled 9:55 AM arrival. "Because of the inordinate delay of the Rajdhani, five of us missed a connecting train to Dehradun. Apart from inconvenience, we lost a precious day of our trip," he said.
Another passenger, Shanti Khuntia, boarded the Nandankanan Express from Bhubaneswar on Saturday only to find it running approximately five hours late. "I lost five hours because of the train delay. I had dinner at my friend's house. Such a delay during the holiday season makes me sad," she added. Siba Jena from Ganjam expressed surprise at the five-hour delay of the typically punctual Rajdhani Express.
Widespread Impact Across Multiple Routes
The disruption is not one-sided. Trains arriving in Odisha from New Delhi and other northern stations are also experiencing delays of two to three hours. The ripple effect of the fog is evident in the arrival times of several key trains over the weekend:
- The Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Express reached Delhi two hours late on Saturday night.
- The Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar Terminal Neelachal Express was running late on Sunday.
- The Puri-ANVT Nandankanan Superfast train arrived in New Delhi 4 hours and 44 minutes behind schedule.
- The Visakhapatnam-Amritsar Hirakud Express was delayed by 3 hours and 23 minutes on Sunday.
An official spokesperson for the East Coast Railway confirmed that dense fog is the primary cause. "Trains are running at a slow speed because of fog. Loco pilots follow several precautions while piloting trains in such conditions," he stated, highlighting the safety measures necessitated by the poor visibility.
The situation underscores the vulnerability of rail networks to severe weather conditions during the winter months, leaving hundreds of passengers in a state of uncertainty as they navigate their year-end journeys.
