15 trains cancelled as passengers brave cold

Thousands of passengers were inconvenienced as 15 trains originating from Chandigarh, including three Shatabdi trains to and from Delhi and two Vande Bharat Express trains, were cancelled due to the Punjab bandh call given by farmer unions today.

Several trains were running late with the Mumbai-Amritsar Paschim Express reaching the city after a delay of nine hours. Many passengers whose trains were delayed had to wait on the platforms and near the ticket counter in extreme cold weather. The farmers had blocked the railway track at Sarsani near Lalru town due to which the trains could not reach the Chandigarh Railway Station.

Apart from Kalka-Delhi Shatabdi and Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi trains, Chandigarh-Ajmer Vande Bharat Express, Amb Andaura-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, Ramnagar-Chandigarh, Kalka-Delhi, Kalka-Bhiwani, Chandigarh-Amritsar and Kalka-Ambala Passenger trains were also cancelled by the Ambala Railway Division.

While the passengers with bookings for the cancelled trains were informed by the Railways earlier, many others whose trains were delayed were stranded at the station for hours. “I have been waiting here for over six hours with my wife and two daughters - aged 7 and 5. Today, it is exceptionally cold and we fear that our children may fall sick,” said a passenger, Girdhari (34).