Ludhiana: Over 23 trains delayed due to dense fog, passengers stranded

Poor visibility affected both arrivals and departures throughout the day, impacting long-distance and premium trains, including the Vande Bharat and Swarna Shatabdi Express

Dense fog continued to disrupt train operations at Ludhiana railway station on Monday, with over 23 trains running several hours behind schedule and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, railway officials said.

Passengers stranded at railway station in Ludhiana on Monday. (HT Photo)

Poor visibility affected both arrivals and departures throughout the day, impacting long-distance and premium trains, including the Vande Bharat and Swarna Shatabdi Express.

Among the worst affected, the Howrah-Amritsar Mail was delayed by nearly 11 hours, arriving around 4.23pm instead of 5.35am. The Sambalpur–Jammu Tawi Express reached Ludhiana over six hours late, while the Malwa Superfast Express (Dr Ambedkar Nagar–Katra) was delayed by 5 hours and 40 minutes. Other long-distance trains, including the Agra Cantt–Hoshiarpur Express and Shane Punjab Express, were delayed by over five hours and four-and-a-half hours, respectively. The Amrapali Express, Mour Dhwaj Express, and Mumbai CSMT–Amritsar Express also reported delays ranging from three to four hours.

Premium services were affected as well. The Vande Bharat Express (Katra–New Delhi) was running nearly five hours late, while the Amritsar–Old Delhi Vande Bharat arrived 30 minutes behind schedule. The Swarna Shatabdi Express (New Delhi–Amritsar) was delayed by almost an hour. Other affected services included the Himgiri Express (Howrah–Jammu Tawi) and the Mumbai Bandra–Amritsar Superfast Winter Special, which were running about three to three-and-a-half hours late.

Railway officials said delays are likely to continue if fog persists and advised passengers to check the latest train status before leaving for the station.