Patna: Rail services at Patna Junction were thrown badly off track on Saturday as thick fog across north India led to heavy delays in several long-distance trains. From late night through the early morning, passengers waited anxiously on cold platforms as train arrival times kept changing. Many travellers, especially those heading to far-off destinations, missed their connecting trains due to the long delays. According to railway officials, trains passing through Patna and nearby sections were delayed by anything between one and nine hours.
Some of the most important express trains were among the worst affected. The Howrah Duronto Express arrived more than nine hours late, while the Farakka Express followed closely with a delay of over nine hours. The Magadh Express was delayed by more than eight hours and the Brahmaputra Mail by over seven hours. Other trains such as the Buxar Superfast Express, Kumbh Express, Kota–Patna Express and Patna Express also ran several hours behind schedule, adding to the crowd and confusion at the station.
Passengers said the situation became extremely difficult during the night and early morning, when temperatures were low and facilities were limited. Elderly passengers, women and children suffered the most, with many sitting or sleeping on platforms for hours. Several travellers complained that they did not receive timely or clear information about delays, making it hard to decide whether to wait, cancel their journey or look for alternative transport.
Railway officials said the delays were caused mainly by dense fog in different parts of north India, along with heavy traffic on busy rail routes and ongoing maintenance work. For safety reasons, trains were run at slower speeds, which further added to the delays. Passengers were advised to check the live running status of their trains before travelling. Amid the widespread disruption, a few services such as the Patna Vande Bharat Express, Rajgir Janata Express, Danapur Intercity Express and South Bihar Express remained on time, offering limited relief to stranded commuters.
