The rail connectivity between southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the rest of the country has remained affected for the past week after heavy rainfall damaged railway tracks along the strategically important Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section, officials said on Thursday.
GUWAHATI — The rail connectivity between southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the rest of the country has remained affected for the past week after heavy rainfall damaged railway tracks along the strategically important Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section, officials said on Thursday.
A senior Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official told IANS that train services on the vital Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section under the Lumding Division have been partially disrupted following heavy rain in and around New Harangajao station in the hilly terrain of Assam's Dima Hasao district.
"Due to heavy rainfall, the soil beneath two of the three railway tracks near New Harangajao station has subsided over a stretch of around 300 metres. As heavy rain and inclement weather continue to persist, restoration work has also been hampered," the official said.
A large number of workers, railway personnel, engineering teams, and heavy machinery have been deployed on a war footing to restore the affected track section at the earliest, the official added.
"Normal train operations are expected to resume once the restoration work is completed safely," the official said.
According to the NFR official, the settlement of the railway tracks (Line 1 and Line 2) near New Harangajao station has disrupted train operations over the Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section.
At present, all train movements on the route are being operated through Line 3 under strict monitoring and enhanced safety measures to ensure safe passage of trains.
In view of the ongoing restoration work, the NFR has cancelled the Guwahati-Silchar Express on Thursday and Friday, while several other trains connecting southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur have either been rescheduled, regulated, or partially cancelled.
In the interest of passenger safety, the operation of passenger-carrying trains through the affected section has been suspended during night hours between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. During the daytime, trains are being allowed to pass through the affected stretch under regulated conditions with continuous monitoring.
Consequently, several trains operating along the Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section have been rescheduled, cancelled or regulated, the official said.
The Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section serves as the only rail link connecting Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam with the rest of the country, making it one of the most strategically important railway corridors in the Northeast. Any disruption on this route has a cascading impact on passenger movement as well as the transportation of foodgrains, fuel, construction materials and other essential commodities to the region.
Every year during the monsoon season, railway infrastructure across parts of the Northeast remains highly vulnerable to floods, landslides and soil erosion, frequently disrupting both passenger and freight movement. The four-month monsoon period, from June to September, often causes extensive damage to railway tracks, embankments, bridges and other railway infrastructure due to landslides, waterlogging and erosion, particularly in the mountainous terrain of Dima Hasao district. As a result, several Northeastern states, especially Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and parts of southern Assam, frequently face prolonged disruptions in rail connectivity with the rest of the country, causing considerable hardship to commuters and affecting the timely movement of essential commodities and commercial goods.