Chandigarh railway station will undergo its longest-ever disruption starting Thursday, with key lines and platforms being shut in rotation for 36 days till October 15, as Northern Railway clears the way for erecting the station’s new through-roof and dismantling the existing foot-over-bridge (FOB) as part of the redevelopment being executed by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA).A total of 442 train trips will be cancelled during the block period, the highest toll from a single block at the station in recent years, according to an order issued by the Senior Divisional Operations Manager, Ambala Cantt, on September 2.THREE PHASES, ONE LINE-SET AT A TIMEThe block will not shut the station outright in one go. Instead, it will rotate through three 12-day phases, each taking a different set of platforms and lines out of service so that the rest of the station can continue functioning:September 10 to 21: Line 6 (Platform 5), Line 7 (non-platform) and Line 8 (Platform 6)September 22 to October 3: Line 4 (Platform 3) and Line 5 (Platform 4)October 4 to 15: Line 1 (Platform 2), Line 2 (non-platform) and Line 3 (Platform 2)442 TRIPS WIPED OUTTwelve train services will run fewer trips or none at all during the block, adding up to 442 cancelled trips between September 9 and October 16. These are chiefly on the Delhi–Kalka (74 trips), Chandigarh–Amritsar (74), Chandigarh–Firozpur (74), Ambala–Jalandhar City (74), Ambala–Delhi (74) and Ambala–Kalka (72) routes.Six more train pairs, including the Rishikesh–Chandigarh, Ajmer–Chandigarh and Udaipur–Chandigarh services, will be short-terminated or short-originated at Ambala Cantt on specified days, with their Chandigarh leg cancelled each time.Two Ludhiana–Amritsar trains will be diverted via Sirhind on October 3 and 10, bypassing Chandigarh and Mohali stations entirely.To offset the pressure on Chandigarh, eight long-distance trains, including the Sabarmati–Amritsar and Amritsar–Dehradun services, will get a temporary extra stop at SASN (Mohali) during the block period.76 TRAINS TO SHIFT PLATFORMSSeparately, 76 trains will berth on platforms different from their scheduled ones across the three phases — 20 in the first, 17 in the second and 39 in the third. The changes will affect frequently used services such as the Delhi-bound Shatabdi, the Ajmer–Chandigarh Vande Bharat pair and the Howrah–Kalka Mail.NO ROOM FOR DELAYThe order makes it clear that the RLDA must complete the roof and FOB work strictly within the 36-day period, as the block cannot be extended with the festival and peak travel season following close behind.The division has directed wide publicity through newspapers, station notice boards, official railway handles, mobile apps and repeated public address announcements. Additional RPF and commercial staff will also be deployed for platform guidance during the disruption.ADVISORY TO PASSENGERSWith the corridor serving lakhs of commuters across Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and Ambala, passengers travelling through the station over the next month-and-a-half have been advised to check train status before leaving home through the NTES app, Rail Madad (139) or the station enquiry counter, rather than rely on the regular schedule.FESTIVAL SEASON DISRUPTIONThe timing adds to passenger hardship, with the block running through a stretch marked by several festivals that traditionally see heavy train travel.Pithori Amavasya (Bhadrapada Amavasya) falls on September 10, the day after the block begins. Hartalika Teej follows on September 14, coinciding with the start of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganeshotsav celebrations that run till September 25. Rishi Panchami falls on September 15 and Vishwakarma Puja on September 17.Parsva Ekadashi is observed on September 22, followed by Anant Chaturdashi and Ganesh Visarjan on September 25 — the same day the 15-day Pitru Paksha, dedicated to ancestral homage, begins.Pitru Paksha concludes with Mahalaya (Sarva Pitru Amavasya) on October 10, a day before Sharad Navratri opens on October 11, ushering in nine nights of Durga worship marked by fasting and Garba.With nearly every major festival window through mid-October falling within the 36-day block, passengers who typically travel to be with family for these occasions face cancelled trains, short-terminated services and platform changes at Chandigarh station throughout the festive stretch.