Title - The Free Press: Grid failure disrupts services of 300 trains

Services of about 300 trains, including premier ones like Rajdhani, Shatbadi and Duronto, were severely affected due to collapse of the Northern grid in the early hours today, causing inconvenience to passengers.   

Rajdhani trains coming from Bhubaneswar, Howrah, Sealdah, Mumbai and Ranchi were delayed by more than four hours due to the power problem, said a senior Northern Railway official.   

The power failure has affected the train movement in seven divisions -- Delhi, Ambala, Agra, Jhansi, Allahabad, Moradabad and Kota.     

The power problem has affected the running of about 300 trains and as a result the departure schedule of several trains have gone haywire, said the official.     

The departure timings of Bhubaneswar Duronto, Sealdah Duronto and Kanpur Shatabdi among others have been rescheduled due to the late running of these trains.

Besides, several long-distance trains including Lal Qila Express, Lichchavi Express, Purushottam Express, Farakka Express, Samprak Kranti Express, Bhramputra Mail and Prayag Raj Express are running late by four hours to 11 hours

Northern Railway cancelled the services of about 15 local trains and rescheduled departure timings of another 15 express trains from Delhi in the wake of the power outage.   

The services of about 15 local trains to the city were cancelled this morning as a fallout of the incident, said a Northern Railway spokesperson.   

They include Ghaziabad-New Delhi EMU, New Delhi-Sonipat EMU, Sonipat-Sahibabad EMU, Ghaziabad-Delhi Jn. EMU, Delhi Jn.- Ghaziabad EMU, Delhi Jn.-Ballbhgarh EMU, Ballabhgarh- Shakurbasti EMU, Shakurbasti-Palwal-EMU among others.   

Departure timings of Rajdhani express trains to Howrah, Sealdah and Bhubaneswar which depart from here between 4.30 PM and 5.15 PM have also been rescheduled by two-and-half-hours behind schedule.   

Vikramshila Express to Bhagalpur, Jan Sadharan Express to Rajendranagar (Patna), Bhubaneswar Duronto express, Jalandhar City bound Intercity Express and Hazrat Nizamuddin -Vasco-De-Gama Goa Express have also been rescheduled in wake of the late arrival of the incoming trains, the spokesperson said.   

Most of the incoming trains to the city were running late by over three hours, a Northern Railway spokesperson said.   

Train movement was particularly affected in seven divisions -- Delhi, Ambala, Agra, Jhansi, Allahabad, Moradabad and Kota, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, over a dozen passenger trains were halted on railway tracks for over two hours in Kota Western circle, officials said.   

The railway traffic on track could be resumed only after 4:30 AM today, senior railway officer (Kota circle) B N Gupta said.   

''All trains are now running as per schedule,'' he said.   

The affected trains included Janshatabdi Express, Rajdhani Express, Kota-Neemach passenger train and Intercity Express.