Heavy rains & soil erosion disrupt Assam-Mizoram railway; restoration only after water recedes

Hailakandi, August 26: The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) has announced that restoration work on the interstate railway track between Assam and Mizoram will commence only after the water levels in the Dhaleswari River have receded.

“The restoration process will start after an on-spot verification by experts," a senior NFR official told The Assam Tribune on Monday. The seriousness of the soil erosion has led to delays, and the restoration is expected to take some time, he added.

Earlier on Saturday, in a setback to inter-state travel, the railway service between the states was disrupted due to heavy rains and subsequent soil erosion along the track.

The disruption affected the route near Killarbak, approximately 60 km from Hailakandi town.

Currently, the passenger train service operating between Bairabi in Mizoram and Silchar via Hailakandi has been rerouted.

It now runs only between Silchar and Jamira in Hailakandi. Notably, Jamira is about 23 km from Bairabi. Local residents have voiced their concerns and are calling for immediate restoration of the full inter-state service.

Travellers are being forced to disembark at Jamira and continue their journey to Mizoram by bus, as train services do not extend beyond this point.

Local reports indicate that the train services were crucial for residents, who find road transportation inconvenient due to the challenging hilly terrain and poor road conditions.

“Authorities have not taken timely action, leaving the people of Hailakandi and Mizoram severely affected. Small traders in both regions rely on the daily railway service between Hailakandi and Bairabi, and are now struggling to procure essential commodities. Food and fuel supplies have been critically disrupted. We urgently demand the immediate restoration of the railway line at Jamira, which has been washed away by the Dhaleswari River,” said Kallol Choudhury, a local social activist from Hailakandi.

The NFR is working to address the issues and restore full connectivity as soon as possible.

Notably, the disruption comes shortly after the Commissioner for Railway Safety, Sumeet Singhal, authorised the operation of freight and passenger trains on the 16.725 km newly-laid broad gauge line between Bairabi and Hortoki in Mizoram on August 22.

A safety certificate was submitted to the Ministry of Railways on Friday. The NFR added that 90% of the Bairabi-Sairang railway construction is completed, divided into four sections: Bairabi-Hortoki, Hortoki-Kawnpui, Kawnpui-Mualkhang, and Mualkhang-Sairang.