Increased passenger movement due to Maghi Purnima has led to significant pressure on the Howrah-New Delhi rail corridor, resulting in delays and cancellations of multiple trains. Authorities have rescheduled several trains passing through Prayagraj, affecting services on Wednesday and Thursday.
Several key trains, including Howrah, Sealdah and Ranchi Rajdhani Express, are running behind schedule. On Wednesday, the Bikaner-Howrah, Jammu Tawi-Tata and Nandan Kanan Express were also delayed. Many long-distance trains are expected to be delayed by up to four hours on Thursday.
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Trains running late on Thursday:
- New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express (12302) – Departs at 6:50 PM instead of 4:50 PM.
- New Delhi-Sealdah Rajdhani (12314) – Delayed by two hours, departing at 6:30 PM instead of 4:30 PM.
- Bikaner-Howrah Express (22308) – Departs at 2:30 PM instead of 10:30 AM, reaching late Thursday night.
- Jammu Tawi-Tata Express (18102) – Departed at 6:20 PM instead of 2:20 PM; expected to reach late on Friday.
- New Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani Express (20408) – Departed at 8:10 PM, delayed by four hours.
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Additional delays on Wednesday:
- Bikaner-Kolkata Pratap Express (12495) – Departed at 10:00 AM instead of 6:00 AM.
- Anand Vihar-Puri Nandan Kanan Express (12816) – Departed at 11:30 AM instead of 7:30 AM.
The Duronto Express from Bikaner to Sealdah arrived 5 hours and 21 minutes late, reaching Sealdah in the evening instead of the afternoon. The Poorva Express from New Delhi to Howrah reached Dhanbad three hours and 21 minutes late.
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Train Cancellations
Passenger inconvenience is expected to increase as the Railways has announced the cancellation of 10 trains between February 13 and 22. These include:
- Bardhaman-Hatia MEMU Express (13503 & 13504)
- Ranchi-Howrah Intercity (18628 & 18627)
- Ranchi-Bokaro Passenger (58034 & 58033)
- Hatia-Sanki Passenger (58663, 58664, 58665, 58666)
Additionally, Malda Town-Surat Express and Raxaul-Secunderabad Special will take alternative routes, skipping Ranchi. These changes are due to a block for the construction of a four-lane road cum rail overbridge at Sirmatoli under the Ranchi Railway Division.
