Train services remain disrupted in parts of NE due to landslides; restoration work underway in full swing

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is progressing rapidly towards early restoration of railway services after repairing the affected railway tracks in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section under Assam’s Dima Hasao district, officials said on Friday. 

Train services between south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram and the rest of the country via Guwahati continue to be disrupted since June 23 after huge landslides badly affecting the railway track in the mountainous areas.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that some portions in the Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section were severely impacted by multiple instances of earth slips due to heavy rainfall.

He said that in a strong show of commitment, the NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava visited the affected site to review the situation on the ground, assess progress, and motivate the field teams.

He directed that maximum manpower and machinery be deployed to expedite the restoration process and ensure early resumption of train services in this vital hill section.

As part of the intensive restoration efforts, approximately 20,000 cubic meters of slipped earth from the hill slope are being removed for track fitting, with 14,100 cubic meters already completed, the CPRO said.

He said that from the track area itself, 3,000 cubic meters of earth were targeted for removal, of which 2,850 cubic meters have already been cleared.

In addition, a massive 1,27,000 cubic meters of slipped earth have been removed from vulnerable hill slopes.

Drainage improvement measures are also underway, including the construction of 600 running meters of kutcha drains and the cleaning of 400 running meters of existing hillside drains.

For slope stabilisation, jungle cutting has been done over an area of 12,000 square meters and 1,200 square meters of hill slope have been protected using non-woven geo-textile material.

Sharma said that a large workforce and heavy machinery have been deployed at the site. Despite the challenging terrain, teams are working relentlessly.

The official said that the presence of the General Manager at the site has boosted the morale of all personnel involved, as NFR pushes forward with determination and urgency.

Despite numerous logistical constraints, the Railway is committed to restoring normalcy in the section at the earliest, prioritising safety and operational readiness.

Until restoration is completed, it has been decided to cancel/partially cancel certain trains for the safety of passengers, the CPRO stated.

Every year during the monsoon, several northeastern states, especially Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam, remain cut off from the rest of the country for weeks owing to landslides, water logging and damage to railway tracks, leading to hardship for the people of the region.