Key Points

Train services in parts of Northeast India partially resumed after a five-day disruption caused by landslides. The Agartala-Bengaluru and Silchar-Guwahati routes have been prioritized for stranded passengers. Restoration efforts are underway, but officials have not confirmed when normal operations will resume. Help desks have been set up at major stations to assist affected travelers.

Key Points: NE Train Services Resume Partially After 5-Day Landslide Disruption

  • NFR resumes Agartala-Bengaluru and Silchar-Guwahati trains for stranded passengers
  • Landslides block Lumding-Badarpur section with debris and boulders
  • Restoration work ongoing but full service resumption unclear
  • Help desks set up at key stations for passenger assistance
3 min read

Train services partially restored in parts of NE after 5-day disruption

Train services in Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram partially resume after landslides disrupt connectivity for five days.

"Trains running in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section have been disrupted due to falling earth and boulders. – Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, NFR CPRO"

Guwahati, July 11

After five days of disruption due to landslides, the train services between south Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram and the rest of the country via Guwahati partially resumed on Friday, officials said.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the Agartala-SMVT Bengaluru Humsafar Express and Silchar–Guwahati special train are being run for the benefit of stranded passengers. He said that trains running in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section have been disrupted due to the falling of huge earth, muck, boulders, etc, in huge quantities from the adjoining hills over the railway track between Mupa-Dihakho stations of Lumding Division.

Due to ongoing restoration work in Assam's mountainous Dima Hasao district, train movements are being regulated on this section. Though the clearance of landslides and restoration of railway tracks was underway on a war footing manner, the Railway officials have not yet confirmed when normal train services would be restored in the region.

According to NFR CPRO, train operations on the single line railway track have been suspended until full clearance of debris to ensure safety. Northeast Frontier Railway officials and senior engineers are continuously supervising the restoration work at the site and machines and adequate manpower were mobilised for the early restoration of train services, he said.

Help desks have been opened to facilitate passengers at Guwahati, Lumding, Silchar, Badarpur and Agartala stations. Since June 23, the railway network of southern Assam comprising Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi districts, along with Dima Hasao district, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram has been cut off from the rest of the country for the third time, due to landslides.

After a week of disruption due to landslides in the same Lumding-Badarpur hill section, regular train services between Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and the rest of the country via Guwahati fully resumed on June 30. Vital train services in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section of the Lumding division have been disrupted since June 23 after landslides hit the railway track in the same mountainous areas.

Again, after a day's disruption due to landslides, normal train services in the region resumed on July 4. During the monsoon period from June to September every year, several northeastern states, especially Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam, remain cut off from the rest of the country for weeks because of landslides, waterlogging and damage to railway tracks, leading to severe hardship for the people of the region.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
My cousin was stuck in Agartala for 3 days because of this. Thank God for the special trains! But railway officials should give more frequent updates - families were so worried without proper information.
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Arjun K
Northeast connectivity is India's strategic priority. Instead of temporary fixes, we need tunnels and reinforced tracks that can withstand monsoon fury. Look at how Japan handles mountain railways! #ModernizeNFR
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Sarah B
As a tourist who visited last year, I'm shocked how vulnerable this lifeline is. The scenic route is beautiful but clearly needs better engineering solutions. Kudos to the workers restoring services in tough conditions though!
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Kavya N
The help desks are a good initiative, but railway should also arrange temporary shelters and food for stranded passengers. Many can't afford hotels for multiple days. Northeast people face this hardship every year - it's heartbreaking.
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Vikram M
While restoration work is appreciated, the frequency of these disruptions shows systemic failure. Where are the disaster prevention measures? Our tax money should fund better infrastructure that lasts beyond one monsoon season.

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