Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 25 : The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is undertaking restoration works on a war footing to reinstate train services in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section, where rail connectivity has been disrupted due to a major landslide incident.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway, said that approximately 100 meters of track had been severely affected by the landslide, which was triggered by the failure of a slope near an adjacent road situated just 15 meters from the railway line.
"The incident occurred due to continuous heavy rainfall in the region. A high-level meeting was convened on June 24, 2025 to address the issue, attended by the Chief Secretary of Assam, General Manager of NFR, and senior officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other concerned agencies. During the meeting, a coordinated restoration scheme was finalised, and joint operations are currently underway. More than 25 heavy machinery units, including excavators, JCBs and dumpers, along with approx 200 labourers, have been deployed to expedite the restoration process. Senior officers from the Lumding Division, including the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Lumding, are present at the site to monitor and ensure round-the-clock operations," Sharma said.
He further said that, despite the ongoing efforts, challenges remain.
"The slow and continuous movement of loose soil from the hillside, coupled with persistent rainfall, poses significant risks and delays. The priority is to first stabilize the hill slope, followed by the removal of around 25,000 cubic meters of muck and debris. This includes clearing the railway track section as well as the vulnerable portions of the hill above the track. Protection measures will then be implemented to guarantee long-term safety and slope stability. Until restoration is completed, it has been decided to cancel/partial cancel certain trains for the safety of passengers. Passengers are requested to stay updated through official railway communication channels for further information regarding train movements and restoration of services," Sharma said.
Due to the landslide, several trains have been cancelled such as Rangiya-Silchar-Rangiya Express (Train No. 15611/15612) and Guwahati - Silchar Express (Train no. 15615) which was set to commence thier journey on June 25 and June 26/
Silchar - Guwahati Express (Train no. 15616),commencing journey on June 26 and June 27 has also been cancelled along with Guwahati - Dullabcherra Express (Train No. 15617), Silchar - Secunderabad Express ( Train no. 12514) and AnandVihar Terminal - Agartala TejasRajdhani Express (Train no. 20502) set to commence on June 25.
Additionally, Dullabcherra - Guwahati Express (Train no. 15618), Agartala - Guwahati Special (Train no. 05628) and Silchar - Kolkata Express (Train no. 05639), Guwahati - Agartala Special (Train no. 05627) and Kolkata - Silchar Special (Train no. 05640) have also been cancelled.
The trains which have been partially cancelled include Sealdah - Silchar KazirangaExpress (Train no. 13175) which has been shortly terminated at Lumding and will remain partially cancelled between Lumding and Silchar.
Sabroom - Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express (Train no. 13174) commencing journey on June 26 will be short originated from Lumding and will remain partially cancelled between Sabroom and Lumding.
SMVT Bengaluru - Agartala Express (Train no. 12503) commencing journey on June 24 will be short terminated at Guwahati and will remain partially cancelled between Guwahati and Agartala.
Silchar - Thiruvanantapuram Express (Train no. 12508) commencing journey on June 26 will be short originated from Guwahati and will remain partially cancelled between Silchar and Guwahati.
Agartala - Charlapalli Special (Train no. 07029) commencing journey on June 27 will be short originated from Guwahati and will remain partially cancelled between Agartala and Guwahati.
Agartala - LokmanyaTilak Terminus Express (Train no. 07029) commencing journey on June 26 will be short originated from Kamakhya and will remain partially cancelled between Agartala and Kamakhya.
Agartala - Firozpur Express (Train no. 14619) commencing journey on June 26 will be short originated from Guwahati and will remain partially cancelled between Agartala and Guwahati.
"Train movement in the affected section will remain suspended until the restoration is fully completed. However, all-out efforts are being made to restore connectivity within a week, subject to weather conditions. Passengers are requested to stay updated through official railway communication channels regarding the resumption of services," the CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway said.