Why the Major Disruption?
The extensive disruption is necessary for a significant upgrade of the Chandigarh Railway Station, which is being redeveloped into a world-class facility by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). The 36-day power and traffic block, scheduled from
September 10 to October 15, will allow workers to erect a new through-roof structure and dismantle the old foot-over-bridge girders. This work is critical for modernizing the station but cannot be performed while it is fully operational. The project, part of a Rs 462-crore redevelopment plan, aims to transform the station into a modern multimodal transport hub. Officials are using this block to accelerate construction, with the goal of completing most of the structural work during this period.
A Phased Approach to Minimize Chaos
To manage the impact on the thousands of daily commuters, the Ambala Division of Northern Railway has divided the work into three 12-day phases. Each phase will target different lines and platforms, allowing other parts of the station to remain functional. The schedule is as follows: Phase 1 (September 10-21) will affect Lines 6, 7, and 8. Phase 2 (September 22-October 3) will impact Lines 4 and 5. The final phase, Phase 3 (October 4-15), will focus on Lines 1, 2, and 3. This phased approach, while still causing significant changes, is designed to prevent a complete shutdown of the station.
Cancellations, Diversions, and Short Terminations
The headline's mention of 54 trains skipping the station refers to services that will be 'short-terminated' or 'short-originated' at Ambala Cantt. This means passengers on these trains will have to de-board at Ambala and arrange alternative transport to Chandigarh, or travel from Chandigarh to Ambala to board their train. Key services like the Ajmer-Chandigarh Garib Rath and the Udaipur-Chandigarh Express are among those affected on specific dates. In addition, a total of 12 train services will be completely cancelled during the block, leading to the cancellation of 442 individual trips on routes connecting to Delhi, Kalka, Amritsar, and Ferozepur. A couple of other services will be diverted via Sirhind, skipping Chandigarh entirely on certain days.
Platform Changes and Alternative Halts
Even for trains that continue to operate from Chandigarh, passengers must remain alert. A total of 76 trains will berth at different platforms than usual throughout the 36-day period. Popular services like the Vande Bharat Express and the Delhi-bound Shatabdi Express will be affected by these platform shuffles at various stages. For instance, from October 4 to 15, the Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi (12012) will move from its usual Platform 1 to Platform 3. To ease the pressure, Railways has also arranged for eight long-distance trains to make a temporary stop at SAS Nagar (Mohali) for the duration of the block.
What Passengers Should Do
Given the scale of the disruption, it is crucial for anyone planning to travel via Chandigarh to verify their train's status before leaving home. Do not assume normal schedules or platforms. Passengers are strongly advised to check for the latest updates on cancellations, timings, and platform information using the official NTES app, the Rail Madad helpline (139), or by contacting the station enquiry counter. For those whose trains are short-terminated at Ambala Cantt, be prepared to arrange for alternative road transport to complete your journey to or from Chandigarh. Additional staff will be deployed to guide passengers, and the RLDA has been instructed to complete the work strictly within the allotted time to avoid extensions.
