100 trains to be cancelled, 300 diverted from Aug 31 for 9 days

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Palwal, August 24

The Northern Railways will undertake the non-interlocking work at the Palwal station yard between August 31 and September 8 to facilitate the signalling work for the newly built fourth line on the Tuglakabad-Palwal section. It will affect the plying of over 400 trains, including the local EMU and express trains on this route till September 8. This is likely to hamper the movement of thousands of railway commuters during the period.

This was stated by Neeraj Sharma, Chief PRO of the Northern Railways. He said it would result in the cancellation of 100 long routes trains and diversion of another 300 up to September 8. He said the work was part of the expansion plan of the railway tracks on this route to ease the traffic movement and to upgrade the signaling system.

He said while the non-interlocking work was mainly concerned the signalling system of the trains, the construction of the fourth line was primarily aimed at easing the bottlenecks for the flow of rail traffic between Delhi and Mathura. It involves upgrade of traffic facilities and yard remodelling to enable higher operational capabilities and flexibility.

Apart from the provision of the new signalling panels at the Palwal and Asawati stations, he said the enhancement works included increase in the length of different lines with higher clear standing rooms and provision of shunting necks.

Though the work is expected to be complete by September 8, it is, however, claimed that almost all trains plying on this route, which include Howrah-Sri Ganganagar Toofan Express, Jammu-Tawi Superfast, Dehradun Express, Sampark Kranti, Janata Express, Mahakaushal, Sushashan Express, Intercity, Trivendrum Express, Premium Express, Amritsar Express, Duranto, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Gondwana, Lokmanya Tilak Express, Navyug, Mewar, Kota-Bandra Express, Delhi-Jabalpur superfast, Shirdi Express and New Delhi-Vijaywada Express will remain cancelled on various dates during the period.

More than 300 trains will be diverted on other routes between September 3 and 6, it is added.

All EMUs (local) between Delhi and Palwal would either terminate at Ballabgarh or would remain cancelled due to work, it is reported.