Indian Railways has cancelled all Mail and Express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4am and 2pm on October 10, citing the risk of severe road congestion and difficulty for passengers seeking taxis and other onward transport.
The cancellations apply to trains departing their originating stations after 2pm on Friday and scheduled to reach either of the two stations during the affected window on Saturday. A railway order issued on October 9 by the coaching directorate directed that these services be cancelled at source.
Railway sources said the decision was taken because traffic congestion around New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations could leave arriving passengers unable to travel easily to their final destinations. The two stations are among Delhi’s principal long-distance rail hubs, with passengers often depending on taxis, app-based cabs, buses and private vehicles for the last leg of their journeys.
The move comes amid protests against the Chief Election Commissioner. Railway officials, however, have not officially confirmed whether the demonstrations prompted the cancellations. The stated operational concern is the expected impact of road congestion on passenger movement around the stations.
Trains terminating at other Delhi stations, including Anand Vihar, Old Delhi, Bijwasan, Sarai Rohilla and Delhi Cantt, had not been cancelled as of the report. The order is therefore focused on services bound for New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin during the specified time period rather than on all incoming rail traffic to the national capital.
There was also no reported change to trains originating from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin. Their departures could nevertheless be affected if incoming services fail to reach the stations within the stipulated hours, because the same train formations may subsequently be used for outbound journeys. Such disruption could extend beyond the initial arrival window, depending on how railway operations are managed after the cancellations.
The decision highlights the operational dependence between Delhi’s railway terminals and the city’s surrounding road network. While the immediate measure is intended to prevent passengers from arriving at stations during a period of difficult road access, it also shifts disruption to the rail timetable by cancelling services before they begin their journeys.
The railway order covers trains scheduled to arrive between 4am and 2pm on October 10. The next operational milestone will be the handling of trains originating from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin after the affected arrival period, particularly if incoming services do not reach the terminals as scheduled.
