Delhi train cancellations will affect services from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations as Indian Railways prepares for severe road congestion linked to opposition protests in central Delhi on October 10. Several mail and express trains will be cancelled or have their terminals changed, according to railway officials cited in a report by Jagran.
The railway administration has cancelled all mail and express trains departing from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin from 2 pm on October 9. Trains scheduled to reach the two stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10 will also be cancelled, with the decision being implemented from their originating stations.
Railway officials said intelligence inputs and a traffic advisory indicated that protests planned by opposition parties could lead to extensive road congestion around the two major railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday. The disruption is intended to prevent passengers and trains from being affected by the expected difficulty in reaching the station areas.
The decision covers trains arriving at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin until Saturday afternoon. Passengers whose services are affected may therefore face cancellations before reaching Delhi, rather than only delays or access restrictions at the stations. The report also said that some trains may operate with changed terminal arrangements, although the specific services affected were not listed in the available information.
The move follows a disruption reported on Thursday, when protests and heavy traffic congestion in and around New Delhi caused nearly 5,000 passengers to miss their trains. Several passengers were unable to reach the railway stations on time, while group bookings made through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation also had to be cancelled, according to railway sources.
The latest arrangement shows how road blockades around Delhi’s principal railway terminals can quickly affect rail operations beyond the immediate protest area. New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin are major entry and exit points for long-distance mail and express services, making access to surrounding roads an operational factor in the movement of trains and passengers.
Railway officials have linked the cancellations to the expected traffic conditions and the available intelligence inputs. The affected services are scheduled to remain disrupted through the period identified by the railway administration, from Friday afternoon departures to Saturday afternoon arrivals.
