Winter fog: ER cancels several express trains

Kolkata: As winter approaches, Eastern Railway (ER) has announced the cancellation of four pairs of express trains for nearly three months, starting December 1, due to the anticipated dense fog that often disrupts rail services. Depending on the specific train, the cancellations will last until late February or March 1, 2025.

A spokesperson of ER explained that dense fog, a common occurrence during the winter months, severely impacts train operations, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of delays and safety hazards. “To mitigate these challenges and maintain safety standards, the Railway has proactively decided to regulate train services during this period,” the spokesperson said.

Among the affected trains is the Howrah-Dehradun Upasana Express, which will be cancelled for 26 trips between December 3 and February 28, 2025. The Dehradun-Howrah Upasana Express will also be cancelled for 26 trips, from December 4 to March 1, 2025. Other services impacted by cancellations include the Jhansi-Kolkata Pratham Swatantrata Sangram Express, Kamakhya-Gaya Weekly Express, and New Delhi-Malda Town Express.

In addition to these full cancellations, some trains will also see partial service reductions.

The Mathura-Howrah Chambal Express will not operate between Mathura and Agra for six days, from December 2 to January 6, 2025. Similarly, the Howrah-Mathura Chambal Express will be cancelled between Mathura and Agra from December 6 to January 10, 2025.

The frequency of eight other trains like Howrah-Kathgodam Bagh Express, Kolkata-Amritsar Durgiana Express, Anand Vihar-Bhagalpur Garib Rath Express, and Ajmer-Sealdah SF Express, will also be reduced during this period.