Jabalpur, Oct 10, 2026 01:30 IST
West Central Railway and Western Railway cancelled several Delhi-bound trains, attributing the disruptions to anticipated heavy traffic congestion in the national capital and other operational necessities. The service interruptions coincided with the eve of a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar by the Cockroach Janta Party, which scheduled a Saturday rally to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed irregularities concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
When questioned regarding any potential connection between the scheduling adjustments and the upcoming political protest, West Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Madhur Verma told PTI Videos that the administration had received no directives concerning demonstrations. Addressing separate inquiries, he confirmed the service suspensions were implemented because significant traffic congestion was expected within the Delhi region.
Verma specified that the five affected services included the Mahakaushal Express, the Jabalpur-Nizamuddin Sampark Kranti, the Jabalpur-Nizamuddin Superfast, the Bhopal-Nizamuddin, and the Kota-Nizamuddin routes.
In an independent statement, the public relations officer for West Central Railway in Bhopal noted that administrative necessities also forced the cancellation of Train Number 22221, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express operating via Bhopal, from its originating station on October 9. The administration formally expressed regret for the passenger inconvenience.
Meanwhile, Western Railway announced that eight services transiting through the Ratlam division were cancelled for operational considerations, while two additional trains underwent rescheduling. Ratlam Divisional Public Relations Officer Mukesh Kumar informed PTI that the division possessed no official awareness regarding the capital's scheduled protest, maintaining that operational factors solely dictated the decisions.
Services cancelled with departures slated for October 9 comprised the Dr Ambedkar Nagar-New Delhi Express, the Indore-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express, the Indore-New Delhi Intercity Express, and the Bandra Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Yuva Express, alongside their corresponding return runs on October 10. Furthermore, the Mumbai Central-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and the Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin August Kranti Rajdhani Express experienced five-hour departure delays on October 9. Overall, railway authorities maintained that all alterations stemmed entirely from expected regional congestion and logistical requirements.