Delhi-NCR Hit by Dense Fog: Over 80 Trains Running Late, Flights Delayed And AQI Remains ‘Poor’

New Delhi: Severe cold and dense fog across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have disrupted rail and air traffic, leading to widespread delays and cancellations.

Air quality continues to remain in the ‘Poor’ category amid fluctuating weather conditions.

Trains Delayed

Rail services have been badly affected by low visibility due to dense fog, with over 80 trains running late as they arrived in Delhi from different states. More than a dozen long-distance trains are delayed by over four hours, causing inconvenience to passengers at major terminals.

According to Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, dense fog has engulfed large parts of north India due to falling temperatures, significantly reducing visibility.

“In such conditions, loco pilots are unable to see signals from a distance clearly. To ensure passenger safety, train speeds are reduced, which impacts operations. Passenger safety remains our top priority,” he said.

At New Delhi Railway Station, delayed trains include:

• 12301 Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express: 3 hours 12 minutes late
• 22823 Banaras-New Delhi Rajdhani Express: 3 hours 29 minutes late
• 12313 Sealdah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express: 2 hours 36 minutes late
• 12303 Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express: 7 hours 42 minutes late
• 11057 CSMT-Amritsar Express: 11 hours 18 minutes late
• 22361 Amrit Bharat Express: 2 hours 23 minutes late
• 12751 JAT Humsafar Superfast: 6 hours 29 minutes late
• 14619 Tripura Sundari Express: 7 hours 15 minutes late
• 11841 Geeta Jayanti Express: 3 hours 8 minutes late
• 20805 AP Express: 6 hours 19 minutes late
• 12393 S Kranti Superfast Express: 5 hours late
• 12423 Rajdhani Express: 2 hours 46 minutes late
• 12581 Banaras-New Delhi Superfast: 4 hours 31 minutes late
• 02570 New Delhi-Darbhanga Superfast Special: 5 hours late

At Anand Vihar Terminal:

• 12571 Anand Vihar Humsafar Express: 4 hours 22 minutes late
• 12435 Garib Rath Express: 4 hours 17 minutes late
• 22539 Mau-Anand Vihar Superfast Express: 1 hour 53 minutes late
• 12817 Swarna Jayanti Express: 1 hour 27 minutes late
• 12235 Anand Vihar Humsafar Express: 3 hours 59 minutes late
• 12436 Jaynagar Garib Rath Express: 3 hours 10 minutes late

At Delhi Junction:

• 12225 Kaifiat Express: 5 hours 12 minutes late
• 14217 Unchahar Express: 8 hours 42 minutes late
• 12389 Jallianwala Bagh Express: 3 hours 50 minutes late
• 15715 Garib Nawaz Express: 2 hours late

Flights Disrupted

Air traffic has also been affected due to fog-related low visibility. Several flights were cancelled, while many others are operating with significant delays.

• Air India Express flight IX 1317 (Delhi-Udaipur): Delayed by around 8 hours 55 minutes
• SpiceJet flight SG 877 (Delhi-Ahmedabad): Delayed by over 10 hours
• IndiGo flight 6E 6327 (Delhi-Dehradun): Delayed by around 8 hours 50 minutes

In addition, more than a dozen flights are delayed by up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, chaos was reported at Delhi airport after IndiGo flight 6E 9076 (Delhi-Purnea) was delayed on Saturday, a day after it was cancelled. Passengers protested at the boarding gate, alleging repeated disruptions. While the airline cited bad weather, some passengers claimed they were later told that no pilot was available.

IndiGo has issued advisories warning passengers of possible delays and cancellations due to reduced visibility and fog at multiple airports. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has declared December 10 to February 10 as the official fog window for winter operations.

Cold Wave And Fog Grip Delhi-NCR

Weather conditions across Delhi-NCR have turned harsher over the past few days, with biting cold and strong winds intensifying the chill. On Friday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 17.4°C, nearly 1.9°C below normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 9.1°C, about 2.2°C above average. Humidity levels ranged between 68 and 100 per cent.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, warning of moderate to dense fog during early morning hours. A cold wave is expected to affect isolated areas between January 3 and January 6, with minimum temperatures likely to range from 6°C to 8°C.

For Saturday, the IMD has forecast generally clear skies during the day, with dense fog in the morning. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 7°C, while the maximum may reach 18°C.

AQI Remains ‘Poor’ Despite Marginal Improvement

Air quality in the national capital remains in the ‘Poor’ category despite a marginal improvement due to changing wind patterns. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 312 at 7.15 am on Saturday.

AQI levels in NCR cities were recorded as:

Faridabad: 278

Gurugram: 282

Ghaziabad: 277

Greater Noida: 245

Noida: 255

Several areas in Delhi recorded AQI levels between 300 and 400, while most locations remained between 200 and 300. Some monitoring stations showed better air quality, with Bawana (145) and IGI Airport (148) reporting relatively improved readings.

Following the improvement, the Sub-Committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked Stage-III of GRAP on Friday evening, urging citizens to strictly adhere to restrictions under Stages I and II to prevent further deterioration in air quality. Authorities warned that AQI levels could worsen again in the coming days, depending on weather conditions.

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