Why This Disruption Is Happening
Indian Railways is undertaking a massive redevelopment project to transform Chandigarh station into a world-class travel hub. The current disruption is necessary to facilitate crucial engineering work that cannot be done while the station is fully operational.
Specifically, the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) will be erecting a new 'through roof' structure and dismantling the old foot overbridge girders. This 36-day block is a critical phase of the Rs 462-crore project, which aims to add modern, airport-like facilities, improve passenger flow, and enhance safety and capacity. While the work will cause temporary inconvenience, the long-term goal is a significantly upgraded station with better amenities.
The Full Schedule: 36 Days in Three Phases
The traffic block is not a complete shutdown but a phased one, scheduled from September 10 to October 15, 2026. To minimize the overall impact, the Ambala Division has divided the work into three 12-day phases, with each phase targeting different railway lines and platforms. The phases are: Phase 1 from September 10 to 21, affecting lines 6, 7, and 8; Phase 2 from September 22 to October 3, focusing on lines 4 and 5; and Phase 3 from October 4 to 15, impacting lines 1, 2, and 3. This phased approach allows parts of the station to remain functional while construction is underway on others. However, passengers should anticipate widespread changes throughout the entire 36-day period.
Cancellations, Diversions, and Short-Terminations
The headline's figure of 54 trains refers specifically to services that will be 'short-terminated' or 'short-originated', meaning they will end or start their journeys at a different station. For these 54 train services, Ambala Cantonment will become the temporary terminal station instead of Chandigarh. This means passengers booked on these trains will have to arrange their own transport between Ambala and Chandigarh. In addition to this, 12 other train services will be fully cancelled for the entire duration, resulting in 442 affected individual trips. Some key cancelled trains include the Chandigarh-Amritsar Express and the Chandigarh-Firozpur Express. A few other trains will be diverted to bypass Chandigarh completely, running via Ambala and Sirhind.
Which Major Trains Are Affected?
Many popular long-distance and intercity trains are impacted. Passengers on the Ajmer-Chandigarh Garib Rath (12983/12984) and the Udaipur-Chandigarh Express (20989/20990) will find their journeys starting or ending at Ambala Cantt on specified dates. The Ramnagar-Chandigarh Express is another key service that will operate only up to Ambala. Even premium trains like the Shatabdi Express services and the Vande Bharat Express will face changes, primarily in platform assignments during the final phase of the block. For instance, the New Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi (12011) will shift from its usual Platform 1 to Platform 5 from October 4 to 15. A total of 76 trains will experience platform changes throughout the 36-day period.
What Should Passengers Do?
The most important advice for anyone travelling to, from, or through Chandigarh is to verify your train's status before leaving for the station. Do not assume your train is running on its normal schedule or from its usual platform. The best resources for real-time information are the official National Train Enquiry System (NTES) website and mobile app, or by calling the Rail Madad helpline at 139. If your train is short-terminated at Ambala, you will need to plan for onward travel by bus or taxi. To ease the burden, Railways has also added temporary halts at Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) for eight long-distance trains, including the Agra-Hoshiarpur Express and the Amritsar-Dehradun Express, so check if this is a viable alternative for your journey.
