• Source:JND
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Train passengers, particularly those travelling towards Raebareli, are likely to face significant inconvenience for the next 55 days as four major trains, including the Janta Express, will not arrive at Lucknow Junction. Instead, these trains will be diverted to Uttaretia station, which lacks even basic passenger facilities.

The diversion comes as the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) begins the construction of a new concourse at Lucknow station, necessitating the closure of platforms 2 and 3 from August 1 to August 25. As a result, several trains will be rerouted via Uttaretia and Aishbagh stations.

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While Aishbagh station, located just three kilometres from Lucknow Junction, offers relatively better connectivity, Uttaretia station poses serious challenges. There is no proper provision for clean drinking water, the platform is inadequately built, and there are no fans in the waiting room.

The situation is worse for women, children, and elderly passengers who may struggle to board or alight from trains due to the short platform height. Public transport connectivity from Uttaretia to other parts of the city is also poor, forcing passengers to rely on expensive and unregulated auto-rickshaw and e-rickshaw services.

Despite the expected rise in footfall—an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 additional passengers daily—no significant infrastructural improvements have been made at Uttaretia. The station is slated for future development under the Amrit Bharat Yojana, but for now, commuters will have to manage with subpar conditions, including unclean water taps and a lack of cooling facilities.

Among the affected trains:

-Dehradun–Banaras Janta Express will be rerouted to stop at Alamnagar and then reach Uttaretia via Transport Nagar bypass.

-15128 New Delhi–Banaras Kashi Vishwanath Express and 14208 Delhi–Maa Belha Devi Dham Padmavat Express will also stop at Alamnagar and Uttaretia.

-22683 Yeshwantpur–Lucknow Express and 22684 Lucknow–Yeshwantpur Express will operate from Uttaretia until September 25.

Meanwhile, passengers on the Lucknow–Kanpur rail section are also facing delays due to non-interlocking work for a cargo terminal at Jaitipur railway station. Several major trains, including the Shatabdi Express, have been affected. On Wednesday, the Shatabdi from New Delhi was halted for over 3.5 hours at Ajain, causing many passengers to miss their connecting flights from Lucknow. A passenger, Kunal, missed his 4:55 PM Bangalore flight, as the train reached Lucknow only at 4:30 PM.

Several other trains were delayed by hours, including:

-Veerangana Laxmibai Jhansi–Lucknow Intercity (arrived at 6:24 PM instead of noon)

-12180 Agra Fort–Lucknow Junction Intercity (6:13 PM instead of 12:25 PM)

-15066 Panvel–Gorakhpur Express (6:42 PM instead of 2:40 PM)

-Puri–Anand Vihar Neelanchal Express, which was delayed by two hours.

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Additionally, many trains will operate via the Manak Nagar–Aishbagh–Malhaur route during the construction period:

-22921 Bandra–Gorakhpur Express (August 3 to September 21)

-11123 Gwalior–Barauni Express (July 31 to September 24)

-12555 Gorakhpur–Bathinda Gorakhdham Express (August 1 to September 25)

-15030 Pune–Gorakhpur Express (August 2 to September 20)

These diverted trains will halt at Aishbagh station.

Passengers are advised to check updated train schedules in advance and prepare for extended travel times or limited amenities at diversion stations.