Fog has tightened its grip over North India causing major disruptions in flight and train schedules. The worst affected place at the moment is Uttar Pradesh where dense fog has enveloped almost entire state. Some of the major delays include Patna Rajdhani by 11 hours, Vikramsheela Express by 12 hours, New Delhi Howrah Express by 9 hours, Mahabodhi Express by 13 hours and a few others.
Nine express trains, including Delhi Fazilka Express, UPS Kranti Express and a few others were also cancelled due to foggy conditions. The most unusual delay among all these trains is that of the Nauchandi Express, which runs from Allahabad Junction to Saharanpur Junction every day. For the past seven days, Nauchandi Express due to very dense fog with visibility of mere 100 meters has halted at Meerut. The train has not been able to move forward on its journey as the train's driver is unable to see anything due to dense fog. On 25th December, for the seventh consecutive day the train reached Meerut at 4.30 pm (8 hours later than the usual timing) and hasn't gone beyond it.
The delay has caused trouble to a large number of daily passengers. The timings of the train are suitable for a number of daily travellers mainly comprising school students and office goers. Usually, the train leaves from Allahabad at 5.40 pm and reaches Meerut at 8.30 am the next morning.
Due to the train's termination at Meerut from Saharanpur, passengers who had booked their tickets to Lucknow and Allahabad have been facing difficulty in reaching the desired destination. They are being forced to take a different mode of transport to reach Meerut and further a different train to the aforementioned cities. Hopefully, the fog will clear up and bring much needed relief to the passengers.
