Landslide halts Lumding–Badarpur rail line; SLRC reschedules Barak Valley interviews

Guwahati, June 24: Rail services on the vital Lumding-Badarpur hill section in Assam were suspended on Monday evening following landslides on the tracks between New Haflong and Jatinga Lampur.

The disruption has triggered large-scale cancellations and delays of trains to and from the Barak Valley and other northeastern states, severely affecting passenger mobility and leading the State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) to announce a revised interview schedule for Class-IV aspirants from the region.

According to a statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the incident was triggered by “improper construction work” undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for road repairs near the site.

NFR said that roadwork in the area caused a downstream slope failure, resulting in the movement of the land mass and water directly onto the railway tracks. The section is now deemed “critical and highly unsafe” for train passage.

As a result, the NFR has suspended train services along this important corridor, which connects the Barak Valley to the rest of Assam and further to Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur.

Several passenger trains were either cancelled, short-terminated, or rescheduled. These include the Guwahati–Silchar Express, Rangiya–Silchar Express, Guwahati–Dullabcherra Express, Silchar–Rangiya Express (all scheduled for June 23), and the Dullabcherra–Guwahati Express and Naharlagun–Silchar Special (scheduled for June 24).

The State Level Recruitment Commission for Class-IV Posts also announced that special interview provisions will be made for candidates from the affected Dima Hasao and Barak Valley districts.

Interviews originally scheduled will now be rescheduled for candidates from these regions. Instructions for candidates of Dima Hasao and Barak Valley are also directed as:

• Due to the rail blockade and unsafe travel conditions to Guwahati, a separate test will be held for Class-IV candidates from Dima Hasao and Barak Valley on a revised date. The Commission has assured that all affected candidates will be granted a fair opportunity to appear without disadvantage.
• Further details about the rescheduled interviews will be released shortly. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official website of the Assam State Examination Board (ASSEB) www.sebaonline.org and follow updates in leading newspapers.
• Railway personnel continue to work on clearing the debris, and the Lumding division has formally urged the NHAI to deploy adequate manpower and machinery for protective works to prevent further damage and restore normal rail services at the earliest.