VARANASI: Four long-distance trains were diverted through Banaras and Varanasi Junction after soil subsided during third-line construction on the Mirzapur to Jhingura section on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The disruption began at about 6.20 pm IST, affecting the down line and changing the route used by trains travelling towards eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

For passengers using the Cantt area station or Banaras station, the immediate task is to check the particular train number and its journey start date before leaving home. Northern Railway has confirmed the four diversions through Prayagraj Junction, Prayagraj Rambag, Banaras, Varanasi and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction. It directs passengers to the National Train Enquiry System or helpline 139 for updates.

A diversion through a station should not be treated as permission to board there or as confirmation of an additional passenger stop. Travellers need to establish their boarding station and current arrival information through railway enquiry. The published notice gives a route, rather than a revised Varanasi arrival time or platform number.

Which journeys are covered

The Northern Railway diversion notice identifies three services whose journeys began on November 10: train 12274 from New Delhi to Howrah Junction, train 12398 from New Delhi to Gaya Junction, and train 12368 from Anand Vihar Terminal to Bhagalpur. The fourth is train 12947 from Ahmedabad Junction to Rajgir, with a journey start date of November 9.

Those dates identify the departure from each train's originating station. They are not a common date of arrival at Varanasi. This distinction matters for anyone checking a booking or looking for a train already travelling across the country. Search the service against its original journey date, then check the position and advice for the station concerned.

  • 12274: New Delhi to Howrah Junction, journey began November 10.
  • 12398: New Delhi to Gaya Junction, journey began November 10.
  • 12368: Anand Vihar Terminal to Bhagalpur, journey began November 10.
  • 12947: Ahmedabad Junction to Rajgir, journey began November 9.
  • Official update channels: National Train Enquiry System and 139.

The same route sequence appears in two reports published late on November 10 and early on November 11. Both describe the precautionary suspension of down-line running after the soil movement, with trains continuing on the up line. That is a disruption to a particular line, rather than confirmation that every service across the corridor has stopped.

Other services affected by the disruption

The two reports also agree on route changes involving train 26505, whose journey began on November 10, and trains 12167 and 22971, whose journeys began on November 9. Trains 26505 and 12167 were listed for movement through Prayagraj Junction, Prayagraj Rambag and Banaras. Train 22971 was listed through Banaras, Varanasi and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction as part of its alternative route.

A separate group was cleared to use the Kanpur Central, Lucknow and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction corridor. The matching train numbers in the two accounts are 12878, 09427, 04478, 04078, 09725, 04088, 12436, 12394, 03436, 04404, 22362, 04052 and 12260. Passengers should check these individually rather than assume every diverted train is coming through the same Varanasi stations.

Both reports identify train 63238, the Subedarganj to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction service, as cancelled. They describe it as being held at Prayagraj Chheoki when the information was issued. This cancellation concerns that identified service; it should not be read as a cancellation notice for all local trains.

Technical teams were reported to be examining the affected site and working to secure the ground. The immediate operational response was to move identified services onto alternative corridors while that work continued, with station information systems being used to tell passengers about the changes.

What residents should do

Keep the train number, originating journey date and booked boarding station together when making an enquiry. Ask for the current route and station information, particularly if somebody is travelling to collect a relative at Banaras or Cantt. Use the railway's current information before arranging a pickup, since the diversion notice does not supply replacement arrival times.

Reports say passengers are being informed through station announcements, display boards and enquiry counters while railway teams work to secure the affected section. A time for restoring the down line is not established in the material reviewed. Travellers should therefore check a fresh railway update rather than plan around an assumed reopening hour.

For separate local travel background, readers can consult our reports on Varanasi City to Rajatalab MEMU services, the Kashi station inspection and the festival bus plan. These earlier reports cover different arrangements and do not replace a current enquiry about the disrupted trains.