Monsoon floods and landslides have severely disrupted Assam’s railway network, prompting Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to launch emergency restoration works. Over 700 workers and heavy machinery have been deployed as train services remain affected, with passenger safety and early resumption of operations being prioritised.
Continuous monsoon rains, widespread flooding and landslides have severely affected railway operations across several parts of Assam, prompting the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to undertake extensive restoration work on a war footing to restore normal train services. Railway officials said on Saturday that engineering teams, heavy machinery and hundreds of workers have been deployed across the affected sections to ensure passenger safety and resume operations at the earliest.
The flood situation in Assam continues to remain critical, with more than 11 lakh people across over 2,000 villages affected. According to official reports, over 1.15 lakh people have taken shelter in relief camps, while the overall flood-related death toll has crossed 61. The worst-hit districts include Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat, where overflowing rivers and continuous rainfall have caused widespread devastation.
Major rivers, including the Dikhou, Disang and Dhansiri, continue to flow above the danger level, worsening the flood situation in eastern Assam and damaging critical infrastructure, including railway tracks and embankments.
NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said restoration work is progressing rapidly in flood-affected sections under the Tinsukia Division. Railway teams are carrying out emergency strengthening of damaged formations and embankments to restore safe train movement as quickly as possible.
Between Simalguri and Lakwa, railway personnel are carrying out cess protection and formation strengthening works. A ballast rake has been positioned at the site while boulders are being unloaded from wagons to reinforce weakened railway formations affected by floodwaters.
Similarly, in the Simalguri-Namtiali section, restoration activities are underway with continuous unloading of stone dust and boulders to strengthen the track foundation. In the Amguri-Selenghat section, engineers are utilising sandbags, bamboo piling and rail piling to stabilise vulnerable areas and prevent further erosion.
Restoration work is also progressing in the Simalguri-Sibsagar Town section, where bamboo piling, ballast mobilisation and cess protection activities are being carried out to reinforce the damaged railway track formation and accelerate reopening of the route.
According to Sharma, more than 700 labourers have been deployed across all affected locations along with several heavy machines, including Poclains and JCB excavators. Large quantities of ballast, boulders, sandbags, stone dust and rails are being transported continuously to strengthen the damaged infrastructure and support restoration efforts.
Senior officials from the Tinsukia Division are closely supervising the ongoing operations to ensure proper coordination, timely deployment of resources and strict adherence to railway safety standards.
Apart from eastern Assam, railway operations on the strategically significant Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section have also been impacted due to heavy rainfall in Dima Hasao district. Settlement of railway tracks on Line-1 and Line-2 near New Harangajao station has forced authorities to suspend operations on those tracks.
Currently, all train services on the route are being operated through Line-3 under strict monitoring and enhanced safety protocols. To minimise risks, passenger train operations through the affected section have been suspended during night hours between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. During daytime, trains are being allowed to pass under regulated conditions with continuous monitoring by railway officials.
The disruption has resulted in several trains being cancelled, rescheduled or regulated along the Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section. Railway authorities have appealed to passengers to check updated train schedules before commencing their journeys.
Engineering teams and railway personnel continue to work round the clock to restore the damaged track sections safely. Officials expressed confidence that normal train operations would resume once restoration work is completed and safety inspections are successfully carried out.
Every monsoon season, railway infrastructure across Northeast India remains vulnerable to floods, landslides, waterlogging and soil erosion. The four-month rainy period from June to September frequently causes extensive damage to railway tracks, bridges and embankments, disrupting passenger and freight movement.
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The partial disruption of the Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section has also affected rail connectivity to several Northeastern states, including Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and parts of southern Assam. These disruptions often delay passenger travel and the transportation of essential commodities, highlighting the importance of rapid restoration efforts undertaken by the Northeast Frontier Railway during the ongoing monsoon season.
