A Station Under Reconstruction
The massive disruption stems from a major upgrade at the Chandigarh railway station itself. From September 10 to October 15, the Ambala Division of Northern Railway has scheduled a power and traffic block to facilitate large-scale reconstruction work.
This project is being handled by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). The core tasks include erecting a new through-roof structure and dismantling the girders of the old foot-over-bridge (FOB). This work is critical for the station's modernization but cannot be done while it is fully operational. To manage the process, the work has been divided into three 12-day phases, with each phase targeting different platforms and lines to keep parts of the station functioning. This period of inconvenience is a necessary step towards a more modern and efficient railway hub for the region.
The Long List of Cancelled Trains
For the entire 36-day block, twelve train services will be completely cancelled, resulting in a total of 442 affected trips between September 9 and October 16. This is the most significant impact of the block and will affect thousands of daily commuters and long-distance travellers. Among the major services that will not run are the Delhi-Kalka Express (14331/14332), the Ambala-Kalka passenger train (54531/54532), the Chandigarh-Amritsar Express (14541/14542), and the Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express (14629/14630). Passengers who regularly use these services will need to find alternative modes of transport for the entire duration of the engineering work.
Diverted and Short-Terminated Services
Beyond outright cancellations, many other trains will see significant changes to their routes and destinations. Several key services will be 'short-terminated' or 'short-originated' at Ambala Cantt, meaning the Chandigarh-Ambala leg of their journey is cancelled. This applies to popular trains like the Ajmer-Chandigarh Garib Rath (12983/84) and services connecting Chandigarh to Rishikesh and Udaipur. Passengers booked on these trains will have to arrange their own travel between Ambala and Chandigarh. Additionally, a few trains will be diverted entirely, bypassing Chandigarh. For instance, two trains on the Ludhiana-Amritsar route will be rerouted via Sirhind on certain dates, skipping both Chandigarh and SAS Nagar (Mohali).
Platform Changes and What You Should Do
Even for trains that are still running, passengers must remain alert. Across the three phases of the block, a total of 76 trains will berth at different platforms than their usual schedule. This includes popular services like the Vande Bharat Express, the Howrah-Kalka Mail, and various Shatabdi Express trains, which will be assigned to different platforms at different stages of the work. To ease the pressure on Chandigarh station, eight long-distance trains will get a temporary stop at SAS Nagar (Mohali). Given the sweeping changes, passengers are strongly advised to verify their train's status before leaving for the station. You can check for the latest information via the NTES app, the Rail Madad helpline (139), or by contacting the station enquiry counter directly.
