Severe Disruption of Rail Services in Northeast India Due to Heavy Rainfall
Impact of Heavy Rain on Rail Connectivity
File image of a deserted New Haflong railway station due to irregular train services. (Photo:X)
Guwahati, Aug 6: Rail connectivity linking southern Assam with Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur has faced significant disruptions for over two weeks due to severe rainfall damaging the railway tracks along the crucial Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section.
A senior official from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) reported that train operations on this essential route were partially halted following continuous rainfall affecting the New Harangajao station in the hilly Dima Hasao district.
The official explained that the heavy downpour caused soil subsidence beneath two of the three tracks near New Harangajao station, impacting nearly 300 meters and severely hindering train services.
Efforts to restore the service are ongoing, but the relentless rain and adverse weather conditions have significantly delayed the repair work, making it difficult to predict when normal operations will resume.
“We cannot provide a timeline for the resumption of regular train services. Operations will only restart once the restoration is safely completed,” the official stated.
Despite the challenges, a large team of workers, railway staff, and engineering crews, along with heavy machinery, are actively engaged in restoration efforts.
The disruption occurred after sections of Line 1 and Line 2 near New Harangajao station experienced subsidence, affecting train operations on the Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section.
Currently, all train movements on this route are being managed through Line 3, with strict monitoring and enhanced safety protocols in place.
Due to the ongoing restoration, the NFR has cancelled the Guwahati-Silchar Express for August 6 and 8, while numerous other trains connecting southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur have been rescheduled, regulated, or partially cancelled.
To ensure passenger safety, the operation of passenger trains through the affected area has been suspended during nighttime hours from 7 pm to 5 am.
During the day, trains are permitted to pass through the impacted section under regulated conditions with continuous monitoring.
As a result, several trains along the Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section have been rescheduled, cancelled, or regulated, according to the official.
This railway corridor is the sole link connecting Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and southern Assam to the rest of India, making it a vital and strategically significant route in the Northeast.