Heavy fog blanketed the Ludhiana region on Tuesday, severely disrupting railway operations and throwing travel plans into disarray. The dense fog led to poor visibility, forcing significant delays and the cancellation of numerous trains, leaving passengers frustrated and stranded.
Major Delays and Cancellations Hit Key Routes
Railway officials confirmed that multiple trains were running several hours behind schedule. The MCTM Udham Weekly Superfast Express was delayed by over five hours, while the Amritsar Garib Rath Express was approximately five hours late. Other significant delays included the Sachkhand Express, running over three and a half hours late, and the Kanpur Central Superfast Express, delayed by around two hours.
The list of affected services extended to popular trains like the Golden Temple Mail to Amritsar (one hour late), Shaheed Express (two and a half hours late), and Amritsar Ajmer Express (about two hours late).
Complete List of Cancelled Trains
The disruption was not limited to delays. Several trains were cancelled outright due to the adverse weather conditions. The cancelled services included:
- Jalandhar City Intercity Express
- Nangal Express
- Agra Cantt Express
- Jammu Mail
- Jammu Tawi Duronto Express
- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Express
- Delhi Sarai Rohilla Superfast Express
- Amritsar Jallianwala Bagh Express
- Jammu Tawi Garib Rath Express
- Hisar Amritsar Express
- New Delhi Vande Bharat Express
Officials noted that some trains, including the Agra Cantt Express and Amritsar Hisar Express, remained cancelled for several consecutive days.
Passenger Frustration Over Lack of Communication
The situation was exacerbated by what passengers described as a severe lack of clear and timely communication from the railway authorities. Many travellers reached stations only to discover their trains were not running.
Harman, a local resident, shared his ordeal: "Several trains have been cancelled for several days, but when they have not been officially declared by the railways, it leads to problems. I had planned to board the Nangal Dam train. When I checked the schedule, I reached the station only to realize it had been cancelled. Railway staff later told me the train has been cancelled for several days and is not expected to run."
He urged the railway administration to promptly update schedules and officially declare non-running trains to prevent such widespread inconvenience. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by commuters during the winter fog season in North India and the need for more robust communication systems.
