Hill tracks buried, Trains halted: No quick fix for Lumding–Badarpur rail wreck

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 27, 2025

Hopes for an early restoration of the vital Lumding–Badarpur hill section have been dashed as Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) grapples with massive earth slips triggered by relentless rainfall. Despite a full-scale effort involving heavy machinery, manpower, and a top-level inspection, there is no immediate timeline for resuming normal train operations.

The worst-hit stretch, located between KM 108/6-8, has been left mangled by repeated landslides. NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava personally visited the site to assess the damage and fast-track recovery efforts. He instructed teams to throw everything they have—equipment, workforce, and willpower—into restoring this crucial rail artery.

So far, progress has been heavy but slow. Of the 20,000 cubic meters of slipped earth marked for removal, 14,100 have been cleared. Another 2,850 cubic meters have been dug out from the track itself, while an enormous 1.27 lakh cubic meters of debris have been removed from surrounding slopes.

Restoration is being hampered by tough terrain and narrow, slippery roads, forcing dumpers to operate under high-risk conditions. In several inaccessible stretches, machines have been swapped out for manual labor, as workers navigate steep, unstable hill faces.

Drainage work is also underway to reduce future damage, with hundreds of meters of new and existing hillside drains being cleared or constructed. Jungle clearing has covered 12,000 square meters, and stabilization of 1,200 square meters of slope is being carried out using non-woven geotextiles.

While railway officials on the ground press on, the disruption to train services continues to ripple across the region. A slew of major trains remains cancelled or partially cancelled through the end of June, affecting thousands of passengers.

Cancelled trains:

June 27: 15615 (Guwahati–Silchar), 15611/12 (Rangiya–Silchar–Rangiya)

June 28: 15616 (Silchar–Guwahati), 15888/87 (Guwahati–Badarpur–Guwahati), 15641 (Silchar–New Tinsukia)

June 29: 15642 (New Tinsukia–Silchar)

Partially cancelled trains:

June 26: 01665 (Rani Kamalapati–Agartala) short-terminated at Guwahati

June 27: 13173 (Sealdah–Sabroom Kanchanjunga Express) short-terminated at Lumding

June 28: 13174 (Sabroom–Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express) to start from Lumding

June 28: 12504 (Agartala–SMVT Bengaluru Humsafar Express) to start from Kamakhya

With monsoon threats still looming, NFR has urged passengers to stay updated via official channels and prepare for more disruptions in the coming days. While the restoration work presses on with urgency, there’s still no clear signal on when this key section will be back on track.