The Railways has cancelled several Mail and Express trains and rescheduled two Rajdhani Express services ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday, citing anticipated severe traffic congestion around New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations.
The Railway Board on Friday cancelled trains scheduled to arrive at the two stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10, if they departed from their originating stations after 2 pm on October 9.
In a separate notification, Western Railway announced that the Mumbai Central-New Delhi Rajdhani Express (12951) and the Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin August Kranti Rajdhani Express (12953) would be rescheduled by five hours.
It also cancelled the Bandra Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express (12247), the Dr Ambedkar Nagar-New Delhi Express (20155), the Indore-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express (09309), the Indore-New Delhi Express (12415) and the Sabarmati-New Delhi Express (12957).
The Western Railway said the changes were made following a Railway Board communication regarding anticipated traffic congestion around the two major railway terminals on Saturday. Passengers have been advised to check the latest train schedules before commencing their journeys.
The disruption comes as Delhi prepares for the CJP's protest at Jantar Mantar, where the party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The party has accused the Election Commission of voter-list manipulation during the revision exercise and alleged that Kumar bypassed his two fellow Election Commissioners while making changes concerning Form 6, which is used to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls. These allegations remain contested.
Delhi Police have also urged the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to shut 57 metro stations to restrict the movement of young people expected to travel to the capital for the demonstration. The proposed closures are intended to prevent protesters from converging on the protest venue, though the police request does not, by itself, confirm that the stations will be shut.
The planned demonstration comes amid a wider confrontation between opposition parties and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise. Opposition leaders have raised concerns over the verification and inclusion of voters in electoral rolls, while the poll body has defended the revision process.
Passengers travelling to Delhi on Saturday have been advised to verify their train's running status and schedule through official railway channels, particularly if their journeys involve New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin stations during the affected hours.
(With inputs from PTI)
