Bhubaneswar: Persistent dense fog blanketing northern India has severely disrupted rail services, particularly affecting long-distance trains originating from Odisha and heading towards New Delhi and other northern destinations.
According to East Coast Railway (ECoR), several key trains have been rescheduled to mitigate the impact of delayed linking services caused by low visibility in the north.
Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal Express, originally set to depart at 9:55 pm on Sunday, was pushed back to 10:55 pm. Similarly, Puri-Rishikesh Kalinga Utkal Express left Puri at 2:30 am on Monday instead of its usual 8:45 pm slot on Sunday.
Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express also saw its departure shifted from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm on Monday, while the Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Superfast Express also faced rescheduling. The Puri-Durg Express was delayed from 7:10 pm to 9:30 pm on Sunday due to the late arrival of paired trains.
Incoming services have been hit hard as well. Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Express arrived in Delhi two hours behind schedule on Saturday. On Sunday, the Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar Terminal Neelachal Express ran late, Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal Nandankanan Superfast reached New Delhi after a delay of four hours and 44 minutes, andVisakhapatnam-Amritsar Hirakud Express was running three hours and 23 minutes late, the TOI reported.
Trains bound for Odisha from New Delhi and northern stations are similarly affected, with delays exceeding two to three hours in many cases, compounding the inconvenience for travellers during the peak winter season.
Notably, more than 50 trains under Northern Railway have been experiencing delays between 30 minutes to over six hours, underscoring the extensive impact of the fog on transportation systems.
