Train services connecting South Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram to the rest of India via Guwahati will partially resume on June 29 after landslides disrupted the Lumding-Badarpur section. Restoration efforts are ongoing, with full services expected to resume soon. Goods and passenger trains will operate in phases.
Train services connecting South Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram to the rest of the country via Guwahati are set to resume partially from Sunday, June 29. The resumption follows a week-long disruption caused by massive landslides that damaged railway tracks in the hilly terrains of Assam’s Dima Hasao district.
According to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, the affected Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section of the Lumding division will see partial restoration of train movement starting Sunday. Limited operations are scheduled between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., with expectations for full services to resume from Monday.
The disruption began on June 23 when heavy rainfall triggered massive landslides across several sections of the mountainous route, particularly between Lumpur and New Haflong. These landslides severely damaged railway infrastructure, making the route impassable for both passenger and freight trains.
“Restoration work is progressing rapidly to bring normalcy to train movement. The safety of the track and its surroundings is our top priority. Teams are working round the clock,” said Sharma in a statement issued Saturday night.
To prioritize essential supplies, goods trains carrying petroleum products and food grains destined for Tripura and the Barak Valley in southern Assam will be given precedence. A POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricants) wagon that has been stranded at Guwahati will also be dispatched to Dharmanagar in northern Tripura once the tracks are clear.
The Sealdah-Silchar Kanchenjunga Express, which began its journey on Saturday (June 28), will be the first passenger train to operate through the restored section. Following this, the Sabroom-Sealdah Kanchenjunga Express, scheduled to start on Sunday (June 29), will also run on its original route.
To accommodate passengers who have been stranded due to the service suspension, NFR will run a special train from Rangiya to Agartala on Sunday.
The affected region, particularly the Lumding-Badarpur hill section, falls under Assam’s Dima Hasao district—a region prone to frequent landslides during the monsoon. NFR officials confirmed that multiple earth slips had disrupted service, necessitating urgent intervention.
NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava personally visited the disaster site to assess the situation and review ongoing restoration efforts. During his inspection, he directed field teams to mobilize maximum manpower and machinery to expedite the track repair and ensure timely resumption of services.
“This route is crucial for connecting several Northeast states with the rest of the country. Restoring it swiftly and safely is a top priority for us,” Shrivastava stated during the visit.
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The restoration of rail services is expected to provide much-needed relief to thousands of passengers and businesses that rely on the railway network for transportation and logistics. It also underlines the challenges posed by the region’s difficult terrain and the importance of robust disaster response mechanisms.
As monsoon rains continue to lash the region, railway authorities remain on high alert for any further disruptions. However, with the partial restoration already underway and full services expected soon, there is cautious optimism that connectivity to the Northeast will soon return to normal.
