Title - Northern power grid failure: 45 local trains cancelled, services hit

Chandigarh: Train services were hit hard in Northern India because of the major failure in the Norther Grid- that supplies power- leaving a large number of passengers stranded.

At least 45 local trains were reportedly cancelled following the power crisis that emerged because of power grid failure.

According to reports, almost all Shatabdi, Rajdhani trains were delayed by over 4 to 5 hours in North India.

A number of passenger trains bound for Delhi and beyond, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu, Ferozepur and Kalka were stranded at way side stations due to failure of electricity, a senior railway official said

Trains affected because of N India power crisis: The affected trains included Amritsar-Delhi Shatabdi, Allahabad-Chandigarh Unchahaar, Lucknow-Chandigarh Sadbhavna, Howraha Kalka Mail and Delhi Jammu Mail.

He said efforts were on to move the passenger trains with diesel engines after detaching them from running goods trains which would remain halted at way side railway stations.

Some trains were stranded midway as the electric engines hauling them came to a halt due to failure of power at about 2.30 AM.

Kalka Chandigarh Delhi Shatabdi Express left the local station 90 minutes behind scheduled departure of 6.53 AM after a diesel engine was attached to it.

The trains affected include Amritsar Delhi Shatabdi Express, Allahabad Chandigarh Unchahaar, Lucknow Chandigarh Sadbhavna, Howraha Kalka Mail, Delhi Jammu Mail and a number of other superfast, express, passenger and local trains.

The official said that the signal system had also blanked at a number of places due to the power failure.