Trains cancelled, running late too

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, January 8

With the cancellation of almost a dozen trains on the Amritsar-Ludhiana-New Delhi and Jammu Tawi-Ludhiana-New Delhi section due to operational reasons and scores others running way behind schedule due to adverse weather condition, rail passengers had to face a lot of harassment as mad rush prevailed at the railway station throughout the day today.

Misery was writ large over people’s faces, as hordes of Delhi-bound passengers were stranded at the railway station after the 12460 Amritsar-New Delhi Intercity Express, 14646 Jammu Tawi-Delhi Express and 22462 Katra-Delhi Shri Shakti Express were cancelled for the day.

Railway officials said the 14681Jalandhar-New Delhi Intercity Express, 11057 Mumbai CST-Amritsar Express, 12919 Indore-Jammu Tawi Malwa Express, 13049 Howrah-Amritsar Express, 14037 Delhi-Pathankot Express, 14674 Amritsar-Jaynagar Shaheed Express, 15209 Saharsa-Amritsar Jansewa and 12411/12412 Amritsar-Chandigarh-Amritsar Intercity trains also stood cancelled for the day.

Among other trains running on the New Delhi-Amritsar-New Delhi section, the 14682 Intercity Express (1.40 hours), 12029 Swarn Shatabdi (2 hours), 12497 Shane-Punjab (1.20 hours), 12459 Intercity Express (1.40 hours), 12498 Shan-e-Punjab (I hours) and 12030 Swarn Shatabdi express (0.45 hours) were running late.

There was more in store for the harried passengers as most of other trains were running late by several hours thereby adding to their woes. The misery was further compounded by total uncertainty prevailing over the fate of late-running trains as the personnel manning railway inquiry counter did not have correct or updated information with them.

Information provided by the railway officials indicated that the 15653Guwahati-Amritsar Amarnath Express was late by 5.25 hours, 18101 Tatanagar-Jammu Tawi Express by 5.15 hours, 12919 Indore-Jammu Tawi Malwa Express by 5.20 hours, 15210 Amritsar-Saharsa Jansewa by 4.18 hours, 16031 Chennai-Katra Andaman Express by 3.55 hours, 11057 Mumbai CST-Amritsar Express by 3.16 hours, 54601 Hisar-Amritsar passenger by 3.30 hours, 15707 Katihar-Amritsar Amrapali Express by 3 hours, 12471 Bandra (Mumbai)-Katra Swaraj Express by 2.18 hours. 14614 Ferozepur-Chandigarh Express by 2 hours, 15209 Saharsa-Amritsar Jansewa by 2.10 hours, 12925 Bandra (Mumbai)-Amritsar Pashchim Express by 2.15 hours and 74968 Lohian-Ludhiana DMU by 2.15 hours.

Many other mail, express and passenger trains including 18216 Jammu Tawi-Durg Express, 19611 Ajmer-Amritsar Express, 12054 Amritsar-Haridwar Janshatabdi, 12318 Amritsar-Sealdah Akal Takht Express, 12716 Amritsar-Nanded Sachkhand Express, 13049 Howrah-Amritsar Express and 12237 Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Begumpura Express were also running behind schedule by one to two hours.