Railways approve 52 new train halts across Assam on experimental basis

In a significant boost to rail connectivity in Assam, the Ministry of Railways has approved stoppages of 52 trains at multiple stations under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on an experimental basis.

The move comes after a formal request by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had sought additional halts in response to persistent public demands from several districts. The newly sanctioned stoppages will be introduced from an early convenient date and will remain under review, with continuation contingent on passenger response and operational feasibility.

Railway authorities have been directed to closely monitor ticket sales at the concerned stations and ensure extensive publicity of the new halts. The communication has been marked “most urgent,” underscoring the priority attached to the initiative. The Chief Minister’s Office described the decision as a major relief for commuters, stating that the approvals would enhance connectivity and benefit thousands of daily passengers across Assam.

Among the prominent services receiving new halts are the Kanyakumari–Dibrugarh Vivek Express, now set to stop at Abhayapuri, and the New Jalpaiguri–Guwahati Vande Bharat Express, which will halt at Barpeta Road. The Dibrugarh–New Delhi Rajdhani Express has been granted stoppages at Diphu and Tatibahar, while the New Delhi–Guwahati Rajdhani Express will now halt at Furkating.

Additional premium and long-distance trains have also been included. The Naharlagun–Guwahati Shatabdi Express will stop at Gohpur, and the SMVT Bengaluru–Agartala Humsafar Express has been allotted halts at Chandranathpur and Patharkandi. Other key services such as the Sealdah–Sabroom Kanchenjunga Express, Delhi–Kamakhya Brahmaputra Mail, Howrah–Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, Dibrugarh–Lalgarh Awadh Assam Express, and Agartala–Anand Vihar Tejas Express will now halt at stations including Bijni, Kampur, Kokrajhar, Hojai, Jagi Road, Dhekiajuli Road, Chapar, Majbat, Naharkatiya, Sarupathar, Seleng Hat and Goalpara Town.

The inclusion of premium categories such as Rajdhani, Vande Bharat, Shatabdi, Tejas and Humsafar trains is being viewed as a transformative step for semi-urban and rural pockets that previously had limited boarding access. If passenger turnout remains robust and operations are unaffected, the Railway Board may consider making the experimental halts permanent. For now, the move is expected to significantly ease travel for students, traders, patients and daily commuters dependent on rail links to Guwahati and other major destinations.