PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 17 -- Rail services across northern India were severely affected on Tuesday as dense fog led to major delays, with several long-distance trains arriving at Prayagraj Junction many hours behind schedule, disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers.

One of the worst-hit services was the Prayagraj Express, a daily superfast train from New Delhi, which reached the station at 4.22 pm instead of its scheduled arrival at 7 am, running over nine hours late. The train, which carries an average of 1,500 to 2,000 passengers daily and operates without a pantry car, left travellers facing difficulties due to the prolonged delay.

Passengers said that while overnight travel was manageable, the extended daytime delay meant missi...