Shatabdi, Vande Bharat cancelled: 22 trains affected on Delhi–Chandigarh route this week | Full List
Rail traffic affected: Commuters travelling through Chandigarh railway station are in for a difficult week. A major infrastructure upgrade on the Delhi-Ambala main line has forced the Indian Railways to cancel, divert and reschedule several trains between May 30 and June 6, and the ripple effects are being felt across the region.
The work is being carried out between Shahabad Markanda and Mohri stations, where the Ambala Division of Northern Railway is expanding loop lines and commissioning a new Electronic Interlocking (EI) system. To execute this, a six-day Pre-Non-Interlocking (PNI) block followed by a one-day Non-Interlocking (NI) block has been imposed on the section, a standard but disruptive procedure required whenever signalling infrastructure is being overhauled.
The scale of the disruption is significant. As many as 22 trains have been fully cancelled, 29 diverted onto alternate routes, 8 rescheduled and 20 regulated, affecting thousands of passengers who depend on this corridor daily.
Among the trains hit hardest are some of the most popular services on this route. The Ajmer–Chandigarh Garib Rath Express (12983) will not run on May 31 and June 2, while its return service (12984) stands cancelled on June 1 and 3. The New Delhi–Chandigarh Shatabdi Express (12045/12046) and the Ajmer–Chandigarh Vande Bharat Express (20977/20978), both premium, high-demand services, have been fully cancelled on June 6.
Long-distance trains are also being rerouted. The Chandigarh–Yesvantpur Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express (22686) will travel via Ambala–Saharanpur–Meerut–Ghaziabad on June 2, bypassing Panipat and New Delhi entirely. Similarly, the Chandigarh–Madgaon Goa Sampark Kranti Express (12450) will operate on a diverted route on June 1.
Railway officials have advised passengers to check their train status before heading to the station and, where possible, make alternate travel arrangements for the affected dates. Ticket cancellations for the impacted services are being processed without penalty charges, though the railways has not issued a formal advisory on that front yet.
The upgrade, once complete, is expected to significantly improve safety and operational efficiency on one of the country's busiest rail corridors.
- With inputs from agencies
