Rail connectivity to Mizoram has been disrupted following heavy rainfall and soil erosion that damaged a portion of railway track between Jamira in Assam and Bairabi in Mizoram.
The damage occurred on the Katakhal-Bairabi section on Thursday evening, prompting the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to begin restoration work. Railway officials are monitoring the affected stretch while efforts are being made to repair the track and resume normal train operations.
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According to NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, nearly 70 metres of railway track has been affected by soil erosion. The erosion has extended up to around 40 metres from the centre of the railway track, making the damaged section difficult to access.
A major challenge for the restoration teams is the lack of direct road connectivity to the affected location. Railway authorities therefore expect the repair process to take some time.
“Considering the site conditions and accessibility constraints, the restoration work may take some time to complete,” Sharma said. He added that several trains had consequently been cancelled, while some services would operate only on shortened routes.
Among the services affected is the 15610 Sairang-Guwahati Express, which has been cancelled on September 5, 7 and 9. The 15609 Guwahati-Sairang Express has been cancelled on September 6 and 8.
The 55667 Silchar-Bairabi Express will remain cancelled from September 5 to 9, while the 55668 Bairabi-Silchar Express has been cancelled from September 6 to 10. The 55669 Silchar-Sairang Express will not operate from September 7 to 9. The 55670 Sairang-Silchar Express has also been cancelled on September 6, 8, 9 and 10.
Some long-distance services have been modified instead of being fully cancelled. The September 6 and 8 services of the 15610 Sairang-Guwahati Express will originate from Hailakandi, with the Sairang-Hailakandi portion cancelled.
Similarly, the September 7 13126 Sairang-Kolkata Express will begin its journey from Hailakandi.
Several trains heading towards Mizoram will also terminate at Hailakandi. These include the September 5, 7 and 9 services of the 15609 Guwahati-Sairang Express, the September 5 13125 Kolkata-Sairang Express, and the September 6 20508 Anand Vihar Terminal-Sairang Express.
Railway officials have advised passengers to take note of the revised schedules as restoration work continues on the damaged section. Normal services are expected to resume only after the affected track has been repaired and declared safe for train operations.
