A thick blanket of fog descended upon northern India on Sunday. This dense fog caused widespread disruptions to train services across the region. Several trains traveling from Delhi to Patna faced significant delays, running hours behind their scheduled arrival times.
Major Delays on Key Routes
The North Central Railway (NCR) region, particularly the crucial Delhi–Patna route, experienced severely reduced visibility. This forced trains to operate under strict safety protocols throughout the night. The poor conditions led to a cascade of delays affecting multiple important services.
Specific Train Delays
According to sources from the Danapur railway division, the impact was substantial. The Tejas Rajdhani Express arrived in Patna approximately five hours late. This initial delay created a ripple effect, holding up other subsequent services.
Other major delays included:
- The Sampoorna Kranti Express, delayed by nearly eight hours.
- The Shramjeevi Express, which arrived over five hours late.
- The Magadh Express, held up for more than seven hours.
Services like the Jansadharan Express and the Vikramshila Express also suffered. Both trains were delayed by several hours due to the persistent fog.
Widespread Operational Challenges
The Danapur control room reported that the fog was especially dense along the mainline connecting Delhi, Prayagraj, DDU, and Patna. The challenging conditions were not limited to trains originating in the north. Long-distance services arriving from Mumbai and various southern states also ran late as they entered the fog-engulfed NCR region.
Railway Response and Forecast
A senior NCR railway official addressed the situation. "Fog-related delays are common during the winter season," the official stated. "However, the conditions this year are particularly severe. We are closely monitoring the situation. Our primary advice to operators is to reduce speeds to ensure the absolute safety of all passengers."
The meteorological department has issued a forecast. They predict that dense fog is likely to persist across northern and central India for the next several days. This suggests travelers should prepare for potential continued disruptions on rail and possibly road networks.
