Kolkata-Agartala Express (Train No. 12501), which departed on July 6, was short-terminated at Guwahati and stands partially cancelled between Guwahati and Agartala.
Dharmanagar (Tripura), July 7: Train services connecting Tripura and several northeastern states have once again been disrupted due to fresh landslides between Mupa and Dihakho stations along the Lumding–Badarpur hill section. As a result, the Kolkata-Agartala Express (Train No. 12501), which departed on July 6, was short-terminated at Guwahati and stands partially cancelled between Guwahati and Agartala.
This marks the third major disruption caused by landslides in the region since the beginning of the monsoon season this year.
In response to the situation, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has announced a slew of changes, including full and partial cancellations, rescheduling, and regulation of several train services. According to NFR officials, the Agartala–Anand Vihar Terminal Tejas Express (Train No. 20501), originally scheduled for July 7, will now depart at 6:00 AM on July 8. The SMVT Bengaluru–Agartala Express (Train No. 12503), which departed on July 4, is also under regulation. Similarly, the Agartala–Rani Kamalapati Special (Train No. 01666) will be regulated, though the exact date was not provided.
Train services beyond Tripura have also been impacted. Routes connecting South Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram with the rest of India via Guwahati were similarly affected due to the same landslides.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, confirmed that a landslide occurred in the Lumding division, leading to blockage of the railway track by debris and large boulders. Until the debris is cleared, train movement along this route remains suspended. To assist affected passengers, help desks have been established at key stations including Guwahati, Lumding, Silchar, Badarpur, and Agartala.
The NFR has partially cancelled or rescheduled at least ten key express trains that connect important destinations such as New Tinsukia, Secunderabad, Kolkata, Agartala, Sealdah, Anand Vihar, Bengaluru, Sabroom, Guwahati, and Silchar.
Senior railway officials have reached the site and restoration efforts are ongoing under the supervision of top engineers and staff, according to another NFR spokesperson.
This latest disruption comes shortly after normal services had resumed on July 4, following a brief interruption caused by earlier landslides. Notably, full train services between South Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram and the rest of the country had only resumed on June 30 after being suspended for a week due to similar landslide damage in the same hill section.
The Lumding–Badarpur route, particularly the hilly stretches in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, has remained vulnerable throughout this monsoon season, severely affecting connectivity for the third time since June 23.
The NFR has requested passengers to stay updated via official railway platforms, as restoration work is in full swing. Meanwhile, authorities are working round-the-clock to ensure the safe resumption of normal services.
