Agartala: July 07: Train services between South Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and the rest of India via Guwahati were disrupted once again on Monday due to fresh landslides in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section, officials of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) confirmed.
The landslide occurred between Mupa and Dihakho stations in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, severely affecting the single-line track. NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma stated that train movement has been suspended in the affected section until the debris—boulders and soil—are cleared. Help desks have been set up at key stations including Guwahati, Lumding, Silchar, Badarpur, and Agartala to assist stranded passengers.
As a result of the disruption, NFR has partially cancelled, rescheduled, or regulated ten major express trains connecting cities such as New Tinsukia, Secunderabad, Kolkata, Agartala, Sealdah, Anand Vihar, Bengaluru, Sabroom, Guwahati, and Silchar.
Senior railway officials and engineers have reached the site to oversee restoration efforts, which are currently in full swing. This is the third time since June 23 that landslides have disrupted rail connectivity between the Northeast and the rest of the country. Services had briefly resumed on June 30 and again on July 4 after earlier disruptions.
The Lumding-Badarpur Hill section, a critical link for the northeastern states, is frequently impacted during the monsoon season. Annual landslides, waterlogging, and erosion in this mountainous region often result in extended rail blockades, isolating Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and southern Assam from the rest of India.
The NFR continues to work on strengthening infrastructure in the region to minimize such recurring disruptions during the monsoon period from June to September.
