Landslide hits Lumding–Badarpur rail line, NHAI work under scrutiny

Train services over the vital Lumding–Badarpur hill section in Assam have been suspended after boulders and a large land mass collapsed onto the railway track in the New Haflong–Jatinga Lampur section. 

The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening, has been linked to improper road construction work being carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the region.

According to railway officials, the ongoing road repair work led to a failure of the slope on the downstream side between the road and the railway line, resulting in the land mass bulging and shifting towards the track. 

Water from the road is also flowing directly onto the track, worsening the situation. The site has been deemed “critically unsafe” for train movement, prompting Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to halt all services through the section with immediate effect.

The disruption affects a major rail corridor connecting key northeastern states — including Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and areas of South Assam’s Barak Valley — to the rest of the country.

Affected Train Services

Several trains have been cancelled, short-terminated, or rescheduled as a result of the disruption:

Also Read: NFR adds Vistadome, AC coaches on Howrah, Guwahati, Jorhat, and Silghat routes

Cancelled Trains (June 23–24):

15615 Guwahati–Silchar Express

15611 Rangiya–Silchar Express

15617 Guwahati–Dullabcherra Express

15612 Silchar–Rangiya Express

15618 Dullabcherra–Guwahati Express (June 24)

05637 Naharlagun–Silchar Special (June 24)

Short-Terminated Trains:

05638 Silchar–Naharlagun Special (terminated at New Harangajao)

12513 Charlapalli–Silchar Express (at Lumding)

12501 Kolkata–Agartala Garib Rath Express (at Guwahati)

20501 Agartala–Anand Vihar Tejas Express (at Badarpur)

12519 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Agartala Express (at Guwahati)

13175 Sealdah–Silchar Kanchanjungha Express (at Lumding)

Rescheduled Train:

14037 Silchar–New Delhi Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express, now scheduled to depart at 6:00 AM on June 24 instead of June 23.

NFR’s Lumding Division has written to NHAI, urging the road-building agency to urgently deploy manpower and machinery to prevent further damage to the railway infrastructure. Rail authorities have also mobilized teams to clear debris and assess track conditions.

“The safety of passengers remains our top priority. Train services will resume only after full restoration and safety clearance,” a senior NFR official said.

With the Lumding–Badarpur section serving as a critical artery for passenger and freight movement in the northeast, the disruption has already caused significant inconvenience and delays.

Authorities have appealed for public cooperation and advised passengers to check train schedules before planning their journeys.