Dense fog in North India has severely impacted train services, with numerous trains running hours behind schedule. On January 4, 2025, 49 trains arriving and departing from Delhi were running late due to reduced visibility caused by heavy fog. Most of the affected trains are delayed by three to six hours, leading to the rescheduling of the timings of 10 trains.
The dense fog has caused significant disruptions to Indian Railways, with many trains struggling to adhere to their scheduled travel times. Over the past two days, the situation has worsened, leading to widespread delays as trains fail to reach their destinations on time. On Friday, the Vande Bharat Express, originally scheduled to depart New Delhi for Varanasi at 3:00 p.m., was delayed and eventually began its journey only at 9:00 p.m. Several other premium services, including Rajdhani Express, also experienced delays of several hours. Meanwhile, the Vande Bharat Express, which was scheduled to reach Delhi at 11:00 p.m., has still not arrived by 7:30 a.m. the following day.
Among the most delayed trains, the Mahabodhi Express (12397) is running a staggering six and a half hours late. The Lichhavi Express is delayed by one hour, while the Sampoorna Kranti Express (12393) is running three hours behind schedule. Other delayed trains include the New Delhi Duronto Express (delayed by three and a half hours), Shram Shakti Express (12451) (delayed by four hours), Ranikhet Express (delayed by two and a half hours), and the Farakka Express (delayed by five hours). The New Delhi Rajdhani Express (12301) is delayed by two hours, and the Mussoorie Express (14042) is one hour late.
In addition, fog-related visibility issues have also affected road transport. In the Delhi-NCR region, visibility has dropped to below 50 meters, making driving hazardous. This has led to significant disruptions in road traffic, with commuters facing challenges. The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for the region, indicating the continued risk of dense fog until Sunday.
At the Delhi airport, more than 400 flights have been delayed due to the weather conditions. According to reports, the dense fog is expected to persist for the next couple of days, making travel conditions challenging across air, road, and rail networks.
Indian Railways is advising passengers to check the latest updates regarding their trains to avoid inconvenience.
(With inputs from Anamika Gaur)
