Delhi rail cancellations left passengers stranded at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations after the railways cancelled or rescheduled more than 250 trains to and from the capital on Saturday, citing security arrangements linked to a protest that would make it difficult for people to reach or leave the stations.
At New Delhi Railway Station, passengers gathered at the inquiry kiosk seeking clarity about their tickets and revised train schedules. Several people remained inside the station because transport options were limited and internet services in the area had been shut down, according to the report.
The disruption affected passengers travelling for education, work and business. Aniket Kumar, a student of Lovely Professional University, said he and his friends were trying to find a way to reach their colleges before mid-term examinations beginning Monday. “Most trains going to different part of northern India pass through Delhi. How are we to reach our colleges for exam if all of them are cancelled?” he said.
Passengers also reported difficulty accessing information. Security personnel asked people not to take photographs or videos, while some passengers said their phones were checked for images of closed metro station gates or electronic displays showing train cancellations. The combination of rail cancellations, restricted connectivity and limited access to live travel information left travellers dependent on station inquiries and expensive alternatives.
The impact extended beyond the railway premises. Damanjeet, a passenger quoted in the report, said he had to pay twice the usual fare because he could not book an auto-rickshaw online. Confusing bus routes, metro station closures and the inability to use online maps forced passengers either to pay higher fares or remain at the station.
Driver Kishore said he had to travel three times the usual distance to avoid police restrictions. “Customers can’t expect me to pay for all this,” he said, describing the additional distance and cost involved in reaching passengers during the disruption. His account highlights how restrictions around major transport hubs can affect not only commuters but also the informal and app-based transport network that connects stations with surrounding neighbourhoods.
Satyam Patel, a resident of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, was in Delhi for a one-day business trip when his return train was cancelled. He booked another ticket through a third-party application at three times the original price, according to the report. Patel also said five hotels denied him a room because he “looked like a Gen Z”.
The railway cancellations therefore created a broader mobility problem rather than a disruption limited to train schedules. Passengers faced uncertainty over ticket validity, limited access to alternative public transport, higher fares and difficulty securing accommodation. The railways has said the cancellations and rescheduling were necessary because security arrangements for Saturday’s protest would affect access to and movement from the two Delhi stations. The immediate next step for affected passengers is to confirm revised train schedules and ticket arrangements through railway inquiry channels.
