Indian Railways has announced the cancellation, diversion, or partial termination of 845 train services between September 21 and October 4, 2026, to facilitate Non-Interlocking (NI) work for commissioning a new parallel double-line rail bridge over the Ganga near Mokama in Bihar. According to Business Today, this 14-day traffic block represents a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at eliminating capacity constraints on the existing Rajendra Setu, a single-line rail bridge commissioned in 1959 that can no longer be expanded. East Central Railway's CPRO Saraswati Chandra confirmed that the work will connect the new double-line bridge with the existing railway network at five key junctions - Upper Hathidah Junction, Tal Junction, Rampur Dumra, Dinkar Gram Simaria and Barauni Junction - allowing trains to operate seamlessly on the upgraded infrastructure once commissioned.
The new double-line bridge, approved in the 2015-16 Rail Budget at an estimated cost of ₹1,491.47 crore, is expected to significantly improve rail connectivity and operational efficiency on the busy Delhi-Patna-Howrah corridor. As reported by Business Today, the bridge will be integrated with the existing railway network at five key junctions - Upper Hathidah Junction, Tal Junction, Rampur Dumra, Dinkar Gram Simaria and Barauni Junction - allowing trains to operate seamlessly on the upgraded infrastructure once commissioned. The existing Ganga bridge near Mokama carries only a single railway line and cannot be doubled due to technical limitations, making this parallel bridge construction essential for capacity expansion.
Of the total affected services, 338 trains will be cancelled, 384 diverted, 56 short-terminated and 67 short-originated, taking the overall impact to 845 train services. According to Business Today, the highest level of disruption is expected on October 3, when 36 trains are scheduled to be cancelled. Several prominent long-distance services, including the Kolkata-Jaynagar Express, Ajmer-Bhagalpur Express and Gorakhpur-Ranchi Express, are among the trains affected by the block. The cancellations, diversions and short terminations will affect services through Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and neighbouring states, covering major routes including Howrah-Patna, Kolkata-New Delhi, and several Varanasi, Ghazipur and Muzaffarpur express services.
The disruptions are expected to impact passengers travelling through Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, as well as major routes connecting Howrah, Patna, Kolkata and New Delhi. As reported by Business Today, Indian Railways has advised passengers travelling during the affected period to check their train status before commencing their journey, as cancellations, diversions and schedule changes will affect several long-distance and regional services. The complex multi-point integration at five key junctions explains the 14-day work window required for the Non-Interlocking work, ensuring proper alignment of the new parallel bridge with the existing railway network.
