Railway Services Crippled Due To Thick Fog In Delhi, Passengers Left Stranded

New Delhi: Several trains in the national capital, Delhi, faced disruptions in their operations due to dense fog prevailing in the city on Monday morning. Passengers at New Delhi Railway Station complained about unprecedented delays and schedule disruptions. One of the passengers, Gagan, said his train to Kanpur is delayed by 8 hours due to fog.

"I have to go to Kanpur, but the train is running late by eight hours due to dense fog...," Gagan told ANI. Due to train operational delays, taxi drivers also reported reduced business at the station, as trains are running late due to fog. Shivkumar, a taxi driver, said there is no work at the station because trains have been running late.

"For now, there is no work because there is so much fog. No road is visible, trains are getting delayed, and if trains arrive on time and the road is visible, then an individual can travel," Shivkumar told ANI. Passengers at Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station complained about disruptions to their travel plans due to train delays caused by dense fog in the city.

Vishnu, a college student who took a 7 am train, said that a one-hour delay would cause him to miss breakfast in his mess and that he would now have to pay for it. "My mess closing time is 9 am. I wanted to eat breakfast, so I took the 7 am train, thinking I would have it in the mess. However, the train was delayed by 1 hour, so I won't get breakfast and will have to buy it. These minor problems happen due to fog, flights get missed, and students miss their exams, these problems occur." Vishnu tells ANI.

Gajendra, a student from Udaipur, stated his train was an hour and a half late and expressed concern that dense fog increases the risk of road accidents and students might miss their exams. "A lot of problems are faced due to fog, as there is a risk of accidents for people walking on the roads, and students face problems due to delays in trains and flights, causing them to miss their exams.... My train is late by an hour and a half," Gajendra told ANI.

Additionally, a layer of smog lingered over the Eastern Freeway in Mumbai, reducing visibility and contributing to poor air quality in the area. Meanwhile, dense fog in Delhi has caused significant disruptions at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, with visibility dropping to just 50 meters.
This has led to flight delays and cancellations, with airlines such as IndiGo and Air India issuing advisories warning passengers of potential disruptions.

IndiGo, in a travel advisory, said it is closely monitoring the situation and making operational adjustments as needed to keep journeys moving as smoothly as possible. In its statement, IndiGo said, "#Delhi and #Hindon (Airport) continue to remain wrapped in chilly winter air and lingering fog this morning. The fluctuating visibility has led to changes in flight schedules, and operations may be slower than usual as conditions evolve. 

Our teams on the ground are prioritising safety and compliance with visibility requirements. If your flight is impacted, you can conveniently rebook your journey or claim a refund. Our airport teams are also available to assist should you need support while at the terminal.

Once the weather settles, operations will gradually stabilise, and flights will depart as planned. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We look forward to welcoming you on board soon."

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