Indian Railways cancelled and diverted a number of trains running in the northern and eastern areas due to the dense fog conditions and low visibility on Monday. This is not the first time that Indian Railways has faced irregularities due to adverse climate conditions. The fog, which started arriving in the late night and early morning hours, resulted in low visibility.
“Visibility was poor in many parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, and the state of Rajasthan, and it was not possible for the train to run at full speed because the visibility was below 50 meters,” said officials of the Indian railways. In this case, many passenger trains were either cancelled or rescheduled so as to ensure the safety of the many passengers.
According to the railway officials, safety was given more importance than meeting the timing, especially in the early morning periods where the density of the fog was witnessed at its peak levels. Long-distance expresses, including some of the upgraded and mail expresses, ran late up to six hours. Some of the trains, which originated from the northern parts, got short-terminated at major junctions and did not run for their entire journeys.
To handle this situation, the fog weather schemes were initiated by the zonal railway offices. These schemes include low speeds, higher signal checks, and improved cooperation between station masters and loco pilots. Moreover, extra staff was deployed at major stations to help commuters and give real-time information to handle flow at the stations.
Sources in the railway industry reported that recent technologies like Fog-secured signaling systems, GPS tracking of trains, and anti-collision devices had mitigated major accidents even during harsh weather. Yet older routes that use conventional signaling methods are relatively sensitive to weather disturbances.
Passengers, on the other hand, showed discontent with constant delays and cancellations, especially those traveling for business reasons and connection journeys. Commuters complained of overcrowding in major stations because of congestion arising from constant train delays, while others complained of a lack of clarity with regards to new train times.
To counter this situation, Indian Railways had made use of various digital platforms such as official mobile apps and SMS notifications to keep passengers updated. Railway representatives have suggested that passengers check train status before embarking on a journey and adjust accordingly to accommodate winter schedules.
The disruptions caused by the fog also affected freight services, although necessary items like food grains, fuel, and medicines were accorded preference in clearing. The freight trains ran at restricted speeds to avoid delays while maintaining safety.
Experts pointed out that the tendency for dense fog to persist is also normal during this season because of the low wind speed, large amounts of moisture, and low night temperatures that are commonly experienced. As such, the weather centers have also warned people that such weather conditions may also persist for the coming days, most notably the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Indian Railway systems have always encountered functional difficulties in the winter season, especially in the Northern Indian regions. Over the years, Indian Railway systems have improved themselves with technological enhancements, such as advanced signaling systems, improved means of communication, and monitoring equipment to minimize the effects of the fog. Despite all this, the effects of weather conditions have been testing the Indian Railway system.
Officials have clarified that the safety of passengers is the primary imperative, urging passengers to cooperate with the resultant disruptions. “Although delay is inconvenient, safety is not to be compromised,” said the senior railway official, adding that necessary measures have been ensured to have the services back to normal once the weather condition improves. Indian Railways will presumably continue to operate at higher alertness levels as winter further intensifies, as their control rooms are monitoring weather changes and train operations. Commuters are advised to keep updated to avoid traveling when weather conditions are creating poor visibility.
