June travel alert: Indian Railways cancels 77 trains, Air India cuts international flights

Passengers planning journeys in June are being advised to check schedules before travelling, as both Indian Railways and Air India have announced extensive service disruptions affecting domestic and international routes.

The changes include train cancellations, route diversions and flight frequency reductions, driven by infrastructure upgrades, maintenance works, operational challenges and airspace constraints.

A major maintenance block under the South East Central Railway zone has resulted in widespread disruptions as work progresses on the fourth railway line at Bilaspur station.

The railway zone has cancelled 65 express trains and 12 passenger services, while several other trains will operate on diverted routes or revised schedules.

Passengers travelling on key corridors connecting Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal are expected to face the greatest impact.

Among the affected services are the Howrah–Pune Duronto Express and Pune–Howrah Duronto Express, which will operate via Raipur and Titlagarh on select dates in June. The CSMT–Puri Express and Howrah–CSMT Express have also been diverted through the Durg–Titlagarh section.

Other trains affected include the Mahamana Express, Patna–New Tinsukia services and select Tatanagar-bound trains.

Railway officials said the infrastructure work is aimed at increasing capacity and easing congestion on one of the region’s busiest rail corridors.

North India routes face temporary cancellations

Maintenance work between Narkatiaganj and Gorakhpur Cantt has led to the cancellation of several passenger services in northern India through June 9.

A number of summer special trains have also been temporarily withdrawn, including services connecting Lal Kuan, Kolkata, Delhi, Motihari and Sitamarhi.

Southern Railway services revised

Passengers in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states are also likely to experience disruptions due to engineering works and operational adjustments.

The Tirupati–Chennai Sapthagiri Express has been cancelled on select dates in June, while the Nagercoil–Mumbai CSMT Bi-Weekly Express will operate on a diverted route, bypassing Arakkonam station.

The Chennai Central–Ashokapuram Express will originate from Katpadi instead of Chennai Central on several dates between June 6 and June 21.

Additional changes include the temporary cancellation of the Erode–Sengottai Express and partial suspension of services on the Madurai–Rameswaram passenger route.

Air India scales back international operations

Air India has announced a significant reduction in international services between June and August, citing airspace restrictions and elevated jet fuel costs.

The airline has suspended or reduced frequencies on several long-haul and regional routes as part of its network adjustment plan.

One of the biggest changes is the suspension of Delhi–Chicago services through October. Mumbai–New York JFK flights operating via Rome will also remain cancelled between June 1 and August 31.

Services connecting Delhi and Mumbai with Newark have been reduced, while flights from Delhi to Vancouver and Toronto will operate at lower frequencies during the summer period.

Asian routes also affected

Several routes to Asia have also seen schedule revisions.

Air India has suspended Chennai–Singapore services through August, while frequencies on Delhi–Singapore and Mumbai–Singapore routes have been significantly reduced.

The Delhi–Shanghai route has been temporarily suspended, while services to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok will operate at lower frequencies.

Vienna and Osaka flights suspended

The airline has also temporarily suspended flights between Delhi and Vienna, as well as Mumbai and Osaka.

Meanwhile, routes to destinations including Frankfurt, Vancouver, Melbourne, Chicago and Singapore will continue to operate with reduced frequencies.

Air India clarified that international operations remain active across most destinations, although passengers should expect revised schedules and reduced weekly services on select routes.

Travellers are advised to verify train and flight schedules with railway authorities and airlines before departure to avoid inconvenience.