Indian Railways Cancels 22 Trains and Diversifies Routes for Infrastructure Works
Indian Railways has announced the complete cancellation of 22 trains and the diversion of several major express services to facilitate critical infrastructure development. Passengers planning upcoming journeys across these regions must note that these disruptions are necessary for pre-non-interlocking and non-interlocking operations, patch doubling works, and mandatory safety inspections to ensure long-term network reliability and safety.
- Total 22 trains cancelled due to safety inspections and infrastructure upgrades.
- Disruptions split into two major periods spanning from August 31 to September 4, 2026, and September 22 to October 4, 2026.
- Key divisions affected include the Danapur Division of East Central Railway and the Gorakhpur Cantt-Unaula rail section.
- Passengers are strongly advised to check their updated train schedules before heading to the station.
Reason for Train Cancellations and Diversions
According to Sumit Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer for North Eastern Railway and Varanasi Division, the service adjustments are taking place to complete vital engineering projects. The operations involve pre-non-interlocking and non-interlocking works at Rajendra Pul, Hathidah Junction, and Rampur Dumra stations under the Danapur Division. Additionally, patch doubling and Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) inspections are underway on the Gorakhpur Cantt-Unaula rail section. These infrastructure upgrades are crucial for improving future punctuality and handling higher traffic volumes smoothly.
Affected Train Services and Schedule Changes
The service modifications are scheduled across two primary windows from August 31 to September 4, 2026, and September 22 to October 4, 2026. Fully suspended services include the Gorakhpur-Patliputra Express, which will not run in either direction from September 29 to October 4. Other cancellations feature the Asansol-Gorakhpur Express (13507) on September 25 and October 2, along with its return service (13508) on September 26 and October 3. The Ranchi-Gorakhpur Express (18629) is cancelled on September 25 and October 2, while its return leg (18630) is suspended on September 26 and October 3. Additional cancellations impact the Virangana Lakshmibai Special (04185/04186) on various dates between September 20 and October 1, Ghazipur City-Kolkata Express (13122) on September 21 and 28, and the Kolkata-Ghazipur City Express (13121) on September 27. Special trains like the Mau-Kolkata Special (05096/05095) and Lal Kuan-Kolkata Special (05060/05059) also face cancellations on specified dates. Furthermore, several local passenger services including Gorakhpur Cantt-Siwan (55036), Siwan-Thawe-Siwan (55037/55038), Siwan-Gorakhpur Cantt (55035), Chhapra-Nakaha Jungle (55055), and multiple Narkatiaganj-Gorakhpur Cantt and Bhatni-Ayodhya Dham services are suspended between August 31 and September 4.
Route Diversions and Rescheduling
To maintain connectivity, route diversions have been implemented for several prominent trains. The Jammu Tawi-Bhagalpur Express (15098) on September 22 and 29 and its return service (15097) on September 25 and October 1 will now operate via the Barauni-Sabdalpur-Munger route. The Howrah-Kathgodam Express (13019) is diverted from September 25 to October 3. Moreover, major trains such as Bihar Sampark Kranti (12565), Shaheed Express (14673/14674), Bagh Express (13019/13020), Vaishali Express (15565), and Jan Sewa Express (14617) are rerouted via Varanasi-Ayodhya-Barabanki. Rescheduling measures are also in effect, delaying the Katihar-Delhi Champaran Humsafar Express (15705) by 75 minutes on September 3, while the Balrampur-Narkatiaganj Passenger (55040) will run four hours late from August 30 to September 3. Railway authorities urge all passengers to verify their train status before embarking on their journeys to avoid inconvenience.