HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 25: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has launched a massive restoration effort to reinstate rail connectivity in the Lumding–Badarpur Hill section, which was severely disrupted following a major landslide.
According to an official statement, nearly 100 metres of railway track were affected after continuous heavy rainfall triggered a slope failure near a road situated just 15 metres from the railway line.
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A high-level emergency meeting was held on June 24, 2025, involving the Chief Secretary of Assam, the General Manager of NFR, and senior officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), among others.
During the meeting, a coordinated restoration plan was finalised and a joint operation is currently underway.
Over 25 units of heavy machinery, including excavators, JCBs, and dumpers, along with approximately 200 labourers, have been mobilised to carry out the work at the site.
Senior railway officials, including the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Lumding, are monitoring the operation on the ground to ensure round-the-clock progress.
Despite these efforts, the restoration team faces significant challenges due to the continuous movement of loose soil and ongoing rainfall in the area.
The primary objective at present is to stabilise the hill slope.
Following this, nearly 25,000 cubic metres of debris must be cleared from the railway line and adjoining slopes. Protection works will then be implemented to ensure long-term safety and slope stability.
Given the scale of the disruption, train services through the affected section have been cancelled or partially cancelled as a precautionary measure.
Among the trains fully cancelled are the Rangiya–Silchar–Rangiya Express (15611/15612), Guwahati–Silchar Express (15615), Silchar–Guwahati Express (15616), Guwahati–Dullabcherra Express (15617), Silchar–Secunderabad Express (12514), and the Anand Vihar Terminal–Agartala Tejas Rajdhani Express (20502) for journeys commencing on June 25 and 26. Additionally, the Dullabcherra–Guwahati Express (15618), Agartala–Guwahati Special (05628), and Silchar–Kolkata Express (05639) commencing on June 26 have also been cancelled. The Guwahati–Agartala Special (05627) and Kolkata–Silchar Special (05640), scheduled for June 27, are included in the cancellations as well.
Several trains will be partially cancelled or short-terminated due to the disruption.
These include the Sealdah–Silchar Kaziranga Express (13175), Sabroom–Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express (13174), SMVT Bengaluru–Agartala Express (12503), Silchar–Thiruvananthapuram Express (12508), Charlapalli–Agartala Special (07030), Agartala–Charlapalli Special (07029), Agartala–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express (12520), and Agartala–Firozpur Express (14619), which will either start or terminate at Guwahati, Lumding, Kamakhya or other intermediate stations.
Train operations in the affected hill section will remain suspended until full restoration is completed.
However, the NFR has assured that all-out efforts are being made to reopen the route within a week, subject to favourable weather conditions.
Passengers have been urged to stay informed via official railway communication platforms for further updates on train movements and service resumption.
