BY PC Bureau
Indian Railways has cancelled Mail and Express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday, October 10, citing anticipated severe road congestion around the two stations.
The moves come amid a wider set of restrictions imposed ahead of a planned Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Railways has not publicly linked the cancellations to the protest. However, an order issued by the Railway Board’s Coaching Directorate on October 9, accessed by News18, covers trains that departed or were scheduled to depart their originating stations after 2 pm on Friday and were due to reach either station during Saturday’s 10-hour window. The affected trains are to be cancelled at their source.
The order states: “In view of anticipated severe road traffic congestion in the area around New Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station on 10th Oct, 2026, the following is decided: All Mail/Express Trains starting at Source after 14:00 Hrs today i.e. 9th Oct, 2026, which are reaching New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station on 10th Oct, 2026 from 04:00 Hrs to 14:00 Hrs be cancelled at source.”
Passengers travelling to the two stations have been advised to check their train status before setting out. The advisory follows Thursday’s disruption, when traffic restrictions around Connaught Place and Rajghat obstructed access to New Delhi railway station, causing more than 5,000 passengers to miss their trains, according to railway officials. Among those affected were 56 students from IIT Jodhpur who missed the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express.
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Police restrictions and protest curbs
Other restrictions are already in force across the capital.
Delhi Police has said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in effect across Delhi and that gatherings on October 10 will be treated as unlawful. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shrishti Pandey said protests would not be permitted at Jantar Mantar or elsewhere while the restrictions remained in force, warning that legal action would be taken against unauthorised assemblies.
She urged people not to participate in the proposed demonstration, citing their own safety and that of their families. Reports indicate that Delhi Police has not granted permission for the planned Jantar Mantar protest.
The site’s standing rules already limit permitted gatherings to 1,000 people and require applications to be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district, at least 10 days in advance. Larger demonstrations are supposed to be shifted to other designated grounds.
The CJP, however, has said that thousands of people are expected to join the mobilisation. Its co-convenor, Saurav Das, reportedly submitted an intimation at Parliament Street police station. The organisation has also alleged that police detained some of its members in the days leading up to the protest, including national spokesperson Deepak Baliyan. Its claim that around 10,000 people have been detained nationwide has not been independently verified.
Is this true?
So, is the govt declaring a Dilli bandh tomorrow?— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) October 9, 2026
Liquor shops closed on October 9 and 10
The restrictions extend beyond public gatherings and transport. In an order issued on October 8, Delhi’s Excise Department directed all retail liquor outlets in the capital to remain closed on October 9 and 10. Sales at licensed restaurants, bars and clubs are not covered by the shutdown.
The CJP emerged in mid-May following remarks attributed to Chief Justice Surya Kant in which unemployed young people were reportedly described as “cockroaches”. Since then, the organisation has mobilised student groups and opposition outfits around protests demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
Left-wing groups and student organisations linked to the Aam Aadmi Party are also reported to be joining Saturday’s mobilisation.
For now, the restrictions do not amount to a citywide shutdown of ordinary commercial activity. Offices and markets outside affected areas have not been ordered to close, and licensed restaurants, bars and clubs can continue serving liquor. But access to the two major railway stations during the specified morning and afternoon window has been disrupted, retail liquor sales have been suspended for two days, and police have warned that unauthorised gatherings will invite legal action.
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