Bhubaneswar: Several trains have been delayed, cancelled, short-terminated or short-originated due to modernisation work in the Khurda Road division. The ongoing work at Kenduapada and on the Puri-Khurda Road route has disrupted train services with even Vande Bharat trains running behind schedule.East Coast Railway (ECoR) has imposed temporary traffic blocks and operational restrictions for infrastructure upgrades at Puri railway station and commissioning of the third line in the Kenduapada-Bhadrak-Cuttack section. As a result, several passenger and express trains have been cancelled, short-terminated or short-originated, affecting thousands of daily commuters and pilgrims travelling to Puri.According to an ECoR statement, the upgrade of platforms 5 and 6 at Puri station has led to the cancellation of Khurda Road-Puri and Puri-Khurda Road MEMU services from Aug 25 to Oct 20. Several long-distance trains, including the Rourkela-Puri Express, Sambalpur-Puri Express and Sealdah-Puri Duronto Express, as well as trains from Tirupati, Kamakhya, Indore and Gandhidham, have either been terminated before Puri or originated from intermediate stations during this period.Safety-related modernisation work at Kenduapada station has also affected rail traffic in the Bhadrak-Cuttack section. Two MEMU services between Cuttack and Bhadrak were cancelled on Aug 29 and 30, while several other trains were regulated through short-termination and short-origination arrangements.The Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express reached Rourkela at 1.52 pm instead of its scheduled arrival time of 12.45 pm. Passengers said the disruptions caused inconvenience, particularly for those travelling to Puri for religious and tourism purposes.“I was supposed to travel to Puri from Cuttack for a family function, but my train was short-terminated at Khurda Road. Finding alternative transport at the last moment was difficult and increased my travel expenses,” said Sudhir Pradhan, a passenger at Khurda Road station.Another commuter, Ananda Mishra, who frequently uses MEMU services for work, said the cancellation of local trains had affected his daily travel plans. “The railway should provide more shuttle services between Khurda Road and Puri during the work period. Many office-goers depend on these trains,” he said.Railway officials said the infrastructure work is essential to improve operational efficiency, handle more trains and enhance passenger amenities in the long run.ECoR has advised passengers to check the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) and official railway information channels before starting their journeys, as train schedules may continue to be affected during the execution of the projects.