Palwal Delhi commuter woes increase as Indian Railways suspends eight local trains
Daily railway commuters travelling from Palwal to Delhi and neighbouring areas are facing severe hardship as Indian Railways has temporarily suspended the operation of eight local and EMU trains. This sudden suspension is due to ongoing infrastructure development work at Faridabad railway station, which has significantly impacted the daily commute for thousands of office-goers and students.
The railway administration has announced that eight trains will remain cancelled from September 1 to October 15. Thousands of passengers who rely on these affordable suburban services for commuting to Delhi, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad are now forced to depend on expensive alternative modes of transport, increasing their daily travel expenses despite holding valid monthly railway passes.
The list of cancelled services includes several key routes. The affected trains are 64015 Palwal-Shakurabasti, 64057 Palwal-Ghaziabad, 64012 Shakurabasti-Palwal, 64013 Palwal-Shakurabasti, 64052 Ghaziabad-Palwal, 64078 New Delhi-Palwal, 64908 Shakurabasti-Ballabhgarh, and 64071 Ballabhgarh-Shakurabasti.
Commuter Struggles and Long-Pending Demands
Passengers in the region have been dealing with reduced train frequencies ever since the Covid pandemic. Prakash Chand Mangla, General Secretary of the Daily Rail Passenger Association, highlighted that their union has been persistently demanding the restoration of pre-covid train services and stoppages for long-distance trains at Palwal for the past five to six years. Despite submitting numerous memorandums to railway authorities ranging from the Divisional Railway Manager to the Union Railway Minister, commuters feel their grievances remain unaddressed, and the fresh cancellations have only added to their misery.
Details of Infrastructure Blocks at Faridabad Station
According to official railway headquarters notifications, development and construction work at Faridabad station is being executed during night hours to minimise daytime disruptions. A block of two and a half hours is scheduled from 12:05 AM to 2:35 AM between September 1 and October 15. Additionally, a three-hour traffic block will be enforced daily from 12:05 AM to 3:05 AM starting September 2 through October 14. Railway officials maintain that executing these works during the night prioritises passenger safety while ensuring that infrastructure enhancement is completed expeditiously. However, affected passengers continue to demand adequate alternative transport arrangements during the construction period.