NF Railway blames NHAI for unsafe construction that halted train services and forced road travel ban
Guwahati, June 23: Train and road connectivity between Haflong and Silchar has been severely disrupted following a landslide near the Jatinga-Lampur section. The incident, triggered by ongoing road repairs, forced the suspension of train services over the Lumding–Badarpur hill section and prompted authorities to impose a ban on vehicular movement along National Highway 27.
According to officials, repair work undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) caused a failure of the downstream slope between the highway and the adjacent railway line. Soil and debris have since shifted toward the tracks, with water also flowing directly onto the railway alignment. With the site deemed unsafe, train operations through the affected section were halted on Monday evening to ensure passenger safety.
The Northeast Frontier Railway’s Lumding Division has urged NHAI to undertake urgent protection work and deploy technical support to prevent further damage to this vital transport link. The railway has begun clearing debris from the tracks.
Several trains have been cancelled or short-terminated due to the disruption. Trains cancelled on June 23 include the Guwahati–Silchar Express, Rangiya–Silchar Express, Guwahati–Dullabcherra Express, and Silchar–Rangiya Express. The Dullabcherra–Guwahati Express and Naharlagun–Silchar Special scheduled for June 24 have also been cancelled.
Short terminations include the Silchar–Naharlagun Special at New Harangajao, Charlapalli–Silchar Express at Lumding, Kolkata–Agartala Garib Rath Express at Guwahati, Agartala–Anand Vihar Tejas Express at Badarpur, Lokmanya Tilak–Agartala Express at Guwahati, and Sealdah–Silchar Kanchanjungha Express at Lumding.
In a related move, the Dima Hasao District Administration has imposed restrictions on all vehicle movement between Haflong and Silchar under Section 34(C) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The decision was made due to continued slope movement along NH-27, which has made travel unsafe. Officials have advised travellers to avoid the route and follow further updates.
The administration has instructed both NHAI and the railway authority to send technical teams to assess and stabilize the area. Restoration work is ongoing, but authorities have not yet provided a timeline for the resumption of normal services.
