Tripura during past four days remain cut off from the rest of the country through surface transport as train services between South Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram and via Guwahati continue to be suspended for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday due to landslides blocking the railway track in the New Haflong-Jatinga Lampur section of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR.

Along with the railway connectivity, the surface transport through national highways have also stopped as the iron bridge at Bangharpar area of Barkhala under Cachar district of Assam have also collapsed during the past few days. As a result, small goods carrying  lorries with capacity 10 tons, which were coming to Tripura with vegetables and other essential items, were stranded on the road for the past four days.

Earlier, the National Highway Authority closed the National Highway-8 in between Badarpur and Kathighara areas of Assam from May 21st last to July 20 next due to necessary repair of the road, which has forced the state like Tripura to maintain its essential services by carrying goods through Railways. But, the train services remained closed for the past four days due to landslides in the hill section.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that in view of the landslide that led to the disruption of train services in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section, continuous efforts are underway by the railways and state authorities for the early restoration of services, which were suspended to ensure the safety of passengers and railway assets.

Approximately 100 meters of track has been severely affected by the landslide, 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.

He said a high-level emergency meeting, attended by senior officials of the NFR, state government, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and other agencies concerned, was convened to review the situation and formulate immediate solutions.

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.

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.

The Northeast Frontier Railway is working round-the-clock by deploying heavy machinery, equipment and manpower at the site to clear debris and restore the track at the earliest.

Continuous joint monitoring and coordinated efforts are in progress, and train services are expected to return to normal as soon as the safety of the line is ensured, the official said.

The CPRO said that until restoration is completed, it has been decided to cancel/partially 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 the restoration of services.

As a result, all passenger and goods train to and from Agartala to other parts of the country have been cancelled.

He said that railway teams are working on a war footing and senior railway officials from Lumding Division and Headquarters (Maligaon near Guwahati city) are camping at the site to monitor and coordinate restoration efforts.

The railway administration deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers due to unavoidable train cancellations and service disruptions and assures that all efforts are being made on a war footing to restore train operations while ensuring safety, the NFR CPRO said.

Passengers are advised to check for the latest updates on train services through official railway websites, help lines and social media handles.

It may be recalled here that every year during the Monsoon, several northeastern states, especially Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Southern Assam, remain cut off from the rest of the country for weeks owing to landslides, water logging and damage to railway tracks, leading to hardship for the people of the region.