Ludhiana: Train punctuality across the region showed signs of recovery on Wednesday as the massive delays caused by the recent cold wave began to shrink. However, the improvements have sparked frustration among commuters who are questioning why major services remain cancelled despite clearing skies and better visibility.While the “mega-delays” of 10 to 12 hours seen earlier this month have largely subsided, the Northern Railway continues to struggle with a backlog of cancellations that daily travelers say are no longer justified by the weather. The overall trend on Wednesday was one of gradual stabilization. Many long-distance services that had been crippled by fog over the past week arrived on or near their scheduled times.Trains running mostly on schedule included Amritsar Jan Shatabdi Express and Ganga Sutlej Express, Golden Temple Mail and Sachkhand Express, Tatanagar Express, Begampura Express, and Chhattisgarh Express. Despite the improvement, some services still faced significant setbacks. The Amritsar Clone Special was the worst affected, running six hours behind schedule. Other notable delays included the Amritsar Intercity Express (two hours) and the Indore Amritsar Express (90 minutes).The ‘Cancellation Paradox’The primary grievance for passengers is no longer the delay, but the total absence of certain key trains. A long list of services remains cancelled, including intercity and local (Jalandhar City Intercity Express and Hisar Ludhiana Passenger), besides express and mail (Delhi Sarai Rohilla Duronto, Jammu Mail, Kalka Express, and MCTM Udhampur Superfast).“It is confounding that the Jalandhar City Intercity remains cancelled when the weather has clearly improved,” said Jatinder, a commuter who travels daily to Ludhiana for work. “Cancellations should be decided day-to-day based on actual conditions, not stretched out for weeks regardless of the sun coming out.”Commuters demand resumptionPassengers argue that the railways are being overly cautious or failing to adapt to the lifting fog. With visibility significantly better than in previous days, those relying on rail for work and essential travel are calling for the immediate resumption of canceled routes.Rail officials have yet to provide a specific timeline for when the full schedule will be restored, often citing “operational reasons” and the need to realign rakes that were displaced during the peak of the winter disruptions.
