Northeast Frontier Railway Introduces Special Trains Amid Flood Disruptions
Special Train Services Launched in Response to Flooding
File image of Northeast Frontier Railway. (Photo:X)
Guwahati, July 21: In light of the severe flooding affecting Upper Assam, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has announced the operation of additional special trains to assist passengers stranded due to service disruptions. Train operations in key areas of Sivasagar district have been halted for the second day in a row.
The flooding, particularly around Simaluguri town, has necessitated the suspension of train services on the Simaluguri-Namtiali and Simaluguri-Selenghat routes within the Tinsukia Division.
This situation has resulted in the cancellation, diversion, and short-termination of numerous passenger trains.
To alleviate the difficulties faced by affected travelers, NFR has launched a one-way special train (No. 05934) from Mariani to New Tinsukia, passing through Guwahati, Rangiya, and North Lakhimpur.
The train departed from Mariani at 12:15 AM on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at New Tinsukia by 9 PM, making stops at various stations including Furkating, Barpathar, Sarupathar, Dimapur, Diphu, Lumding, and others.
Additionally, NFR has introduced two pairs of special trains operating between Lumding and Mariani. Train No. 07641 left Lumding at 8:30 AM on Tuesday for Mariani, with the return service, Train No. 07642, scheduled to depart Mariani at 2 PM the same day.
The second pair includes Train No. 07643, which will leave Lumding at 8 PM on Tuesday, and Train No. 07644, set to depart Mariani at 1:30 AM on Wednesday. All four trains will stop at every station along their routes.
Another set of special trains has been arranged between Rangiya and Mariani. Train No. 05831 is set to leave Mariani at 6 PM on Tuesday for Rangiya, while Train No. 05832 will depart Rangiya at 7:20 AM, arriving in Mariani shortly after midnight.
NFR has indicated that several long-distance trains to and from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia are being rerouted via the Rangiya-Rangapara-Dibrugarh path, with some services being cancelled or short-terminated to ensure passenger safety and operational efficiency.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, the Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR, stated that these additional special trains will remain operational until Friday. He noted, "These special additional trains will run until next Friday and are anticipated to provide considerable relief to stranded passengers. Furthermore, regular services for some express trains are also being maintained between the Mariani-Guwahati section."
The disruptions began on Monday when the Dikhow River overflowed, flooding the Simaluguri station yard, railway tracks, and surrounding areas, prompting NFR to halt train services in the affected regions for safety reasons.
As a result, numerous passengers found themselves stranded at Lumding Junction due to the service interruptions.