The Ahmedabad-New Delhi Swarn Jayanti Rajdhani Express has been cancelled for travel linked to October 10 after Indian Railways announced a contingency plan in response to planned opposition protests, possible road blockades and traffic restrictions in the capital.
Train number 12957, which runs from Ahmedabad to New Delhi, is among the mail and express services cancelled under the plan. The cancellations apply to trains scheduled to depart their originating stations after 2 pm on October 9 and reach New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10.
According to the report by Gujarat Samachar, the decision was taken after a Delhi Traffic Police advisory warned of heavy congestion and the possibility of road closures around New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations during the protest period. The railway administration said the measure was intended to protect passengers and prevent disruption caused by difficulty in reaching the stations.
The report said a similar protest had previously created extensive road blockages, leaving around 5,000 passengers unable to reach stations on time and causing them to miss their trains. The latest cancellation has therefore been described as a precautionary step under a passenger-first approach rather than a response to an incident on the railway network itself.
For passengers booked on the Ahmedabad-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, the cancellation means that the journey will not begin from the originating station as scheduled. The reported plan also covers other mail and express trains whose operating timings fall within the specified arrival window in Delhi. The precise effect on individual services will depend on their scheduled departure and arrival times.
Railway authorities have advised passengers to check their train status before leaving home. Travellers have also been asked to use the railway helpline or official railway website for current information, particularly because road closures and traffic diversions may affect access to both New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations.
The decision highlights the operational dependence of long-distance rail travel on conditions beyond railway tracks and stations. Even when trains are running normally, protests, traffic restrictions and access problems in a destination city can prevent passengers from completing their journeys. The cancellation plan is intended to avoid a repeat of the reported station-access disruption during the earlier protest.
Passengers travelling on other services reaching Delhi during the stated four-hour window have also been advised to verify their train status directly with the railway administration before starting their journey.
