A severe blanket of fog descended upon the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday, severely disrupting air and rail operations and amplifying the winter misery for thousands of travellers. The dense fog, which reduced visibility to near-zero in the early hours, triggered cascading delays across transportation networks, marking a chaotic start to the weekend.
Read: Delhi fog top developments: IGI Airport operations hit; over 150 flights cancelled
The bone-chilling conditions, part of an intensifying cold wave across North India, created hazardous conditions for transit. The impact on the railways was far more pronounced and widespread.
Read: Dense fog blankets north India, IMD issues red alert for Delhi
Major terminals, including New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Old Delhi, were thronged with discomfitted passengers facing extensive, multi-hour delays. The disruptions follow similar, significant delays reported the previous day, indicating a persistent crisis.
According to reports, the delays ranged from moderate to extreme. Several premium services were not immune, with the 22436 New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express running 32 minutes late and its counterpart, the 22415 Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat, delayed by 36 minutes.
However, it was several long-distance mail and express trains that bore the brunt. The 12417 Prayagraj Express and the 11841 Geeta Jayanti Express were each delayed by approximately two hours, while the 14242 Nauchandi Express was behind schedule by about four hours.
In a stark illustration of the network's breakdown, the 13257 Anand Vihar Terminal Jansadharan Express was shockingly delayed by 11 hours and 30 minutes. Railway officials attributed the delays to trains being forced to reduce speed for safety in poor visibility, which in turn affected the timely turnaround of train rakes, causing a domino effect of lateness.
The travel chaos is set against a backdrop of a deepening winter chill. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that Thursday was the coldest December day of the season so far, with the maximum temperature plunging to 20.1 degrees Celsius, a significant 2.1 degrees below the seasonal norm.
This sharp drop follows a reading of 23.7 degrees Celsius on December 4th. The combination of dense fog, biting cold winds and hazardous pollution levels has created a particularly gruelling environment for residents and commuters alike.
With IMD officials forecasting continued cold and foggy conditions, the transportation disruptions seen over the past 48 hours may be a grim preview of a challenging winter travel season ahead for the capital region. The situation leaves authorities grappling with the dual challenge of ensuring passenger safety while minimising the inevitable travel paralysis brought on by the elements.
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