Rail lifeline reopened: Lumding–Badarpur route restored after landslide disruption

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 29, 2025

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has restored train services on the crucial Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section after days of disruption caused by multiple landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. The restoration re-establishes a vital rail link connecting southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur to the rest of the country.

According to NFR, limited train operations will resume during night hours—between 12 am and 6 am—from Sunday, with full services scheduled to restart on Monday.

Train movement over the affected section between KM 108/6-8 in the Jatinga Lumpur–New Haflong stretch is now functioning smoothly. The first goods train passed through the repaired stretch, departing New Harangajao at 10:21 am. This marked the symbolic reopening of the line. The first passenger service to successfully cross the section was Train No. 13175 Sealdah–Silchar Kanchenjunga Express, which completed the journey without incident. It was followed shortly by Train No. 13174 Sabroom–Sealdah Kanchenjunga Express.

A special relief train from Rangiya to Agartala also traversed the restored line, providing much-needed mobility to stranded passengers and reinforcing supply routes to the northeastern states.

The restoration came after days of intensive effort by railway teams. The landslides had buried sections of the hill track under mud and debris, bringing all traffic to a halt. NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava personally inspected the affected zone and oversaw the deployment of maximum manpower and heavy machinery to accelerate repair work.

NFR credited its field teams for their round-the-clock efforts that made the rapid reopening possible and thanked the public for their patience during the disruption.

Passengers are advised to follow updates through official NFR channels to stay informed about rescheduled or rerouted services as full-scale operations resume.