Why This Disruption Is Happening
Northern Railway's Ambala Division is undertaking a major upgrade of the Chandigarh railway station as part of its redevelopment by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). The work involves erecting a new through-roof structure and dismantling the girders
of the existing foot-over-bridge. This essential infrastructure work cannot be completed while the station is fully operational. To minimise the impact, the 36-day block, running from September 10 to October 15, has been divided into three 12-day phases, each targeting different lines and platforms.
Fully Cancelled Train Services
A total of 12 train services will remain completely cancelled throughout the block period, which translates to 442 individual trips being affected between September 9 and October 16. This is the most significant part of the disruption and will impact daily commuters and long-distance travellers alike. Key cancelled services include the Delhi-Kalka Express (14331/14332), the Chandigarh-Amritsar Express (14541/14542), and the Chandigarh-Firozpur Express (14629/14630). Other cancelled passenger trains include the Ambala-Kalka, Ambala-Jalandhar City, and Ambala-Daulatpur Chowk services.
Partially Cancelled and Short-Terminated Trains
Many passengers will find their journeys cut short, as several trains will not travel their full route to or from Chandigarh. These services will be 'short-terminated' or 'short-originated', meaning they will start or end their journeys at nearby stations, primarily Ambala Cantt. For example, the Ramnagar-Chandigarh Express will only run up to Ambala Cantt on specific dates in September and October. Similarly, the Ajmer-Chandigarh and Udaipur-Chandigarh services will also be short-terminated at Ambala Cantt for several days during the disruption period, with the Ambala-Chandigarh portion of their journey cancelled. Passengers with bookings on these trains will need to arrange for alternative transport between Chandigarh and Ambala.
Diverted Routes and Temporary Stops
A smaller number of trains will be diverted and will not stop at Chandigarh at all. The Lalkuan-Amritsar Express, for instance, will be rerouted via Ambala-Sirhind-Sanehwal on October 3 and 10, skipping both Chandigarh and SAS Nagar (Mohali). To help manage passenger flow and reduce pressure on Chandigarh station, the Railways have also introduced temporary stops at Mohali for eight long-distance trains. These include services like the Sambalpur-Jammu Tawi Express and the Amritsar-Dehradun Express, which will now have an additional halt at SAS Nagar (Mohali) for the duration of the block.
Navigating the Changes: Platform Shuffling
Even for trains that continue to operate from Chandigarh, passengers must remain vigilant about platform numbers. Across the three phases of work, a total of 76 trains will berth at different platforms than their usual schedules. In the first phase alone (September 10-21), 20 trains will see platform changes. This reshuffle will affect popular services, including the New Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express and the Vande Bharat Express at various stages of the block. Passengers are strongly advised not to rely on pre-existing platform information and to check the display boards and listen for announcements upon arriving at the station.
