Passengers travelling through Chhattisgarh are expected to face major inconvenience in June as Indian Railways has cancelled 77 trains passing through the state due to ongoing railway infrastructure work. The cancellations include 65 express trains and 12 passenger trains, which will remain affected between June 7 and June 19 on different dates. In addition to cancellations, several trains will operate on diverted routes, some services will terminate before reaching their destinations and others will run behind schedule. The disruption is expected to affect passengers travelling to and from states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Telangana during the peak summer travel season.

The South East Central Railway has taken this decision because of the ongoing work related to the fourth railway line at Champa station under the Bilaspur railway division. Railway officials said the project is part of a larger plan to improve rail infrastructure and increase the capacity of one of the country’s busiest railway corridors connecting northern and southern India. However, the temporary suspension of services has left thousands of passengers worried, especially those with confirmed bookings for long-distance travel during the summer holidays.

According to railway authorities, the construction work between Bilaspur and Jharsuguda is progressing rapidly and more than 180 kilometres of the proposed 206-kilometre fourth railway line has already been completed. The remaining work involves linking Champa station with the new railway line, which requires traffic blocks and operational restrictions from June 7 to June 19. Officials said the expansion project will eventually help reduce congestion, improve punctuality and allow the introduction of additional train services in the future.

Among the most affected services are trains connecting Chhattisgarh with major cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Amritsar and Visakhapatnam. Railway officials stated that passengers travelling to Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Odisha are likely to face the maximum inconvenience because several important long-distance trains have either been cancelled or diverted during this period.

To reduce inconvenience for local passengers, the railway administration has decided to operate the Hasdeo Express as a passenger train between Korba and Bilaspur. As per railway orders, trains numbered 18250/18249 and 18252/18251, which usually operate between Korba and Raipur, will function only between Korba and Bilaspur from June 8 to June 19. These trains will run as passenger services instead of express trains during the construction period.

Several premium trains have also been diverted through alternative routes. The Howrah-Pune Duronto Express, operating on June 11 and June 13, will travel via Jharsuguda, Titlagarh and Raipur instead of its regular route. Similarly, the Pune-Howrah Duronto Express running on June 13 and June 15 will also be diverted through the same route. The CSMT-Howrah Duronto Express and Howrah-CSMT Duronto Express will also operate on modified routes during selected dates in June.

Other affected trains include the Gyaneshwari Express and Bhubaneswar-LTT Express services, which will also be rerouted through Raipur, Titlagarh and Jharsuguda. Railway officials said passengers are advised to carefully verify train schedules and routes before starting their journey to avoid confusion and delays.

Apart from diversions, several trains will also terminate before reaching their final destinations. The Gondia-Jharsuguda MEMU passenger train will operate only up to Bilaspur and remain cancelled between Bilaspur and Jharsuguda from June 8 to June 19. Similarly, the Korba-Amritsar Chhattisgarh Express will originate from Bilaspur instead of Korba during the affected period. The Visakhapatnam-Korba Link Express and Korba-Visakhapatnam Link Express will also remain partially cancelled between Bilaspur and Korba.

The Gondwana Express connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin and Raigarh will also face partial cancellation. On selected dates, the train will terminate at Bilaspur instead of Raigarh, while the return service from Raigarh will begin from Bilaspur. Railway authorities stated that such changes are necessary to safely complete the infrastructure work without affecting the overall railway network.

Several important trains will also run late during this period. The Pune-Howrah Azad Hind Express will depart three hours behind schedule on selected dates, while the CSMT-Howrah Express will run with a delay of two and a half hours. The Gondia-Raigarh Janshatabdi Express, Raipur-Korba Hasdeo Express and Korba-Itwari Shivnath Express will also operate with delays ranging from one and a half to two hours.

Passengers have expressed frustration over the sudden disruption, especially those who had already made hotel bookings and travel plans for vacations, family functions and business visits. Travel agents said many passengers are now seeking ticket cancellations or alternative routes because of uncertainty in train operations. The summer season usually witnesses heavy passenger traffic, making the timing of these cancellations particularly difficult for travellers.

Despite the inconvenience, railway officials have appealed to passengers for cooperation, saying the project will significantly improve railway services in the long run. They said the fourth rail line will ease congestion on the busy Bilaspur-Jharsuguda section, help trains maintain schedules and support future expansion of rail services across the region.

Authorities have advised passengers to regularly check official railway updates before travelling and confirm the status of their trains through railway inquiry systems and station announcements. Until the work is completed on June 19, passengers travelling through Chhattisgarh are likely to continue facing disruptions across several major routes.

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