Train services in Northeast India resumed after a day’s disruption due to landslides in Assam’s Dima Hasao district. The Northeast Frontier Railway restored the vital Lumding–Badarpur Hill section, reconnecting South Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur with the rest of India. Monsoon-triggered disruptions remain a recurring challenge.
Train services in parts of Northeast India resumed on Friday after a major disruption caused by landslides in the hilly terrain of Assam’s Dima Hasao district. This interruption had temporarily severed vital rail links between South Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and the rest of the country via Guwahati.
According to officials from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), services were restored in the Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section, a critical stretch in the Lumding division that had been affected by massive landslides on Thursday. The landslide, which occurred between Dihakho and Mupa stations, had resulted in the suspension of train operations after large boulders and debris buried the railway tracks.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of NFR, confirmed that the first train to pass through the restored section was the Agartala–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, marking the resumption of normal traffic through the affected route.
“Senior railway officials rushed to the site immediately after the landslide. Restoration work was taken up on a war footing, with debris being cleared throughout the night. By Friday morning, operations were safely resumed,” Sharma stated.
🛠️ Swift Response and Passenger Support
In response to the disruption, the railway authorities activated emergency protocols. Help desks were established at Guwahati, Lumding, Silchar, Badarpur, and Agartala stations to assist passengers with real-time updates and essential services.
Food and water were distributed to stranded passengers, and timely updates were issued through official railway inquiry channels. Trains that were halted or rescheduled due to the blockage have now resumed their scheduled journeys.
Passengers are still advised to check the latest running status through official platforms as services normalize.
🌧️ Recurrent Monsoon Woes in the Northeast
This incident is the latest in a series of weather-related disruptions that frequently affect the Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section during the monsoon season. The region, characterized by its mountainous terrain, is particularly vulnerable to landslides and track washouts from June to September every year.
In fact, train services in this very section had been disrupted for a full week starting June 23 due to another landslide event. Services were fully restored on June 30, reinstating crucial rail connectivity between the remote northeastern states and mainland India.
“Every monsoon, northeastern states like Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and southern Assam face isolation due to landslides and waterlogging,” said an NFR official. “These natural calamities not only disrupt transport but also pose significant logistical challenges for relief operations.”
Rail transport is a vital lifeline for people in this region, connecting them to major urban centres for medical, educational, and economic needs. Any disruption has wide-ranging implications for both passengers and freight movement.
With monsoon activity expected to persist in the coming weeks, NFR authorities are on high alert and have deployed additional monitoring and maintenance teams across vulnerable sections.
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The railways also reiterated their commitment to maintaining consistent communication with the public, ensuring prompt updates and minimal disruption to services in case of future emergencies.
Passengers traveling through the region are urged to stay informed via the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) and other official railway platforms to avoid inconvenience.
