Indian Railways has cancelled several Delhi-bound mail, express and premium trains from Uttar Pradesh after authorities anticipated severe road congestion around New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations during proposed protests in central Delhi. The cancellations affect services from Lucknow, Varanasi, Kasganj and other cities, along with corresponding return journeys.
The Railway Board’s coaching directorate issued a directive on Friday ordering the cancellation of mail and express trains departing their originating stations after 2pm and scheduled to reach New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4am and 2pm on Saturday, October 10. The initial directive cited anticipated road traffic congestion around the two stations without specifying its cause.
Subsequent cancellation notices issued by the Moradabad railway division referred to the proposed protests in central Delhi and the accompanying traffic advisory. The disruption reflects the operational effect that road restrictions and crowd-related movement controls around major railway terminals can have on long-distance rail services, even when the trains themselves are running on railway infrastructure.
Northern Railway confirmed the cancellation of Lucknow Mail (12229) and the Lucknow-New Delhi AC Superfast Express (12429), both scheduled to depart from Lucknow on Friday. Their corresponding services from Delhi, numbered 12230 and 12430, have also been cancelled for October 10.
The Lucknow-New Delhi Gomti Express (12419) will remain cancelled on October 11. Railways has also announced the cancellation of the Kasganj-New Delhi Express (15303) and both services of the Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express, numbered 82501 and 82502, scheduled to operate on Saturday. The Tejas Express is a premium connection between Uttar Pradesh’s capital and the national capital, and its cancellation is expected to affect weekend passengers travelling in both directions.
Two important services originating from Varanasi have also been withdrawn. Northeastern Railway confirmed the cancellation of Shiv Ganga Express (12559) and the Banaras-New Delhi Superfast Express (12581). Their corresponding return services, numbered 12560 and 12582 and scheduled for Saturday, have also been cancelled.
The cancellations affect passengers across several major urban centres, including Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Kanpur, whose rail links with Delhi serve intercity travel, employment, education and business movement. The notices cover both originating and return services, meaning the impact extends beyond passengers due to travel to Delhi on Friday and Saturday.
The Railway Board and the zonal railway divisions have cited the traffic situation and related advisories as the basis for the cancellations. Passengers booked on the affected services will need to follow railway instructions regarding refunds, rescheduling or alternative travel arrangements as communicated through the relevant railway channels.
