Patna: Railway operations across key routes in eastern and northern India are set to be heavily impacted as the North Eastern Railway undertakes pre-Non Interlocking (pre-NI) work under the Gorakhpur Cantt–Kusmhi third line project. The work will take place in two phases—April 12 to April 26 and April 27 to May 3—prompting major changes in train schedules.
47 Trains Cancelled
In total, the operation of 47 passenger trains has been cancelled during this period. Key long-distance trains such as the Anand Vihar–Radhikapur Express (14012), Radhikapur–Anand Vihar Express (14011), and Amritsar–Purnia Court Janseva Express (14618) are among those affected. Several express, passenger, and special trains across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Assam, and West Bengal have also been cancelled on specific dates.
Some notable cancellations include:
- Kamakhya–Anand Vihar Express (15621) on April 24 and May 1.
- Gandhidham–Bhagalpur Special (09451) on April 25 and the return Bhagalpur–Gandhidham Special (09452) on April 28.
- Champaran Humsafar Express (15705/15706) on multiple dates between April 28 and May 2.
- Multiple Gorakhpur–Kolkata Purvanchal Express (15048 to 15051) services from April 13 to May 2.
Trains Rescheduled
Several trains have been rescheduled due to operational constraints. These include:
- Ernakulam–Barauni Rapti Sagar Express (12522) rescheduled by 4 hours on April 25.
- Porbandar–Muzaffarpur Express (19269) rescheduled by 4 hours 30 minutes on April 10, 11, 24, and May 1.
- Darbhanga–New Delhi Bihar Sampark Kranti Express (12565) to be delayed by 3 hours on five days between April 22 and May 2.
Trains Running on Diverted Routes
Several trains will run on diverted routes bypassing Gorakhpur due to the construction work. Diversions affect clone specials, express services, and Humsafar and Shaheed Express trains, among others. For example:
- Barauni–New Delhi Clone Special (02563) will be rerouted via Chhapra–Aundihar–Varanasi–Prayagraj–Kanpur Central from April 12 to May 3.
- Bandra Terminus–Barauni Avadh Express (19037) will follow a longer route from April 25 to May 1 via Jaunpur, Varanasi, and Muzaffarpur.
- Katihar–Amritsar Express (15707) and return services will run via Bhatni, Mau, and Varanasi between April 12 and May 3.
Partial Termination and Origin
Two trains will be partially terminated or started due to restricted access to Gorakhpur:
- Ranchi–Gorakhpur Express (18629) on April 11 will terminate at Bhatni.
- Gorakhpur–Ranchi Express (18630) on April 12 will start from Bhatni instead of Gorakhpur.
Appeal to Passengers
Railway authorities have advised passengers to check the latest updates before planning their journeys. The changes have been implemented to facilitate vital infrastructure development aimed at increasing train capacity and improving punctuality in the region.
