Guwahati, August 10: Heavy rainfall and landslides have severely damaged the railway track in the strategically important Lumding-Badarpur hill section of Assam. This has resulted in a month-long disruption of rail services connecting southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and the rest of the country.
A senior official from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) reported that continuous moderate to heavy rainfall in the Dima Hasao district of Assam, previously known as North Cachar Hills, has partially interrupted train services in the Lumding division, particularly around the New Harangajao station.
Despite adverse weather conditions, a significant number of workers, railway staff, and engineering teams are on-site, deploying heavy machinery to expedite repairs on the affected tracks. However, officials cannot confirm when normal train services will resume. Regular operations are expected to restart once the repairs are safely completed.
Tripura’s Transport Minister Sushant Chaudhary stated that state government officials are in contact with NFR authorities and engineers to ensure that normal rail services can resume after the ongoing repairs and maintenance near New Harangajao station are completed.
Opposition leaders, including those from CPI-M and Congress, have accused the railway ministry and the Tripura government of not making sufficient efforts to expedite repairs on the affected railway track, which is crucial for connectivity between southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur.
NFR officials noted that the continuous heavy rainfall has caused the ground beneath two of the three railway tracks near New Harangajao station to collapse, affecting nearly 300 meters of track and severely disrupting train operations for the past month.
The repair work is challenging due to the ongoing adverse weather, which has significantly delayed the restoration of normal services. The officials indicated that the collapse of tracks on Lines 1 and 2 has hindered train operations in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section.
Currently, all trains are being rerouted through Line 3 under strict monitoring and safety measures to ensure safe passage. Due to the ongoing repairs, NFR has canceled the Guwahati-Silchar and Guwahati-Dullabcherra express services since the disruption began. Several other trains connecting southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur have had their schedules altered, regulated, or partially canceled.
The Kolkata-Agartala Express, scheduled to begin its journey on August 9, has been regulated while passing through the Lumding division.
To prioritize passenger safety, the operation of passenger trains through the affected section has been halted at night. During the day, trains are allowed to pass through under regulated conditions and continuous monitoring.
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