South East Central Railway (SECR) has announced significant modifications to its train schedule to facilitate essential non-interlocking (NI) work in the Raipur division. This infrastructure upgrade, focused on commissioning a new auto-signaling system between Bhatapara and Hathband stations, is a vital step toward enhancing long-term safety and operational efficiency on the third line. Passengers are advised to note that these changes will impact travel on July 22, 23, and 24, 2026.
- Essential NI work scheduled for July 22-24, 2026, in the Raipur division.
- Multiple MEMU and Passenger trains fully or partially cancelled during the work period.
- Patna-Cherlapalli-Patna special train series extended with 14 additional trips until September 18, 2026.
- Passengers urged to check real-time status before heading to the station.
Impact on Train Services
On July 22, 2026, the railway will face the bulk of the disruptions. The following seven trains are fully cancelled: 68728 Raipur-Bilaspur MEMU, 68734 Bilaspur-Gevra Road MEMU, 68733 Gevra Road-Bilaspur MEMU, 68719 Bilaspur-Raipur MEMU, 58203 Korba-Raipur Passenger, 58204 Raipur-Korba Passenger, and 68746 Raipur-Gevra Road MEMU. Furthermore, the 68745 Korba-Raipur MEMU Passenger will remain cancelled on both July 23 and July 24, 2026. Additionally, the 68862/68861 Jharsuguda-Gondia-Jharsuguda MEMU will undergo partial cancellation on July 22 and 23, with services limited to the Bilaspur-Jharsuguda section, suspending travel between Bilaspur and Gondia.
Extended Special Services
In a move to provide relief to travelers, SECR has extended the Patna-Cherlapalli-Patna Special train series (03253/03254/03255) until September 18, 2026. This extension adds 14 extra trips to the schedule, offering connectivity at major stations including Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg, and Gondia.
Specifically, the 03253 Patna-Cherlapalli Special will operate on Mondays and Wednesdays from August 3 to September 15. The 03254 Cherlapalli-Patna Special will run every Wednesday from August 5 to September 17, and the 03255 service will depart every Friday from August 7 to September 18. Passengers are requested to verify their specific train status via the official IRCTC website or the NTES app to avoid last-minute inconvenience.