Rail services in northeast restored

SILCHAR/AGARTALA - Rail services between the northeastern states of Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam and the rest of India were restored partially Saturday after 18 days, an official said.

The services were suspended June 15 following heavy landslides and damage to tracks.

“From Saturday we are running goods train from Guwahati to southern Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram. After observing the performance, we would run passenger trains from the middle of next week,” Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesman Subrata Hajong told IANS over phone from Guwahati.

“Railway workers have cleared most of the debris in (southern Assam’s) North Cachar Hills district. The huge mudslides covering more than 150 metres of rail track near Harangajao have also been cleared,” he said.

Torrential rains also washed away soil and stone chips under the railway track along a 300-metre stretch in Mailongdisa area in the same district. This was also set right after round-the-clock work, the spokesman added.

The metre gauge railway line from Guwahati passes through southern Assam connecting landlocked Tripura’s capital Agartala and parts of Manipur and Mizoram with the rest of India.

Meanwhile, the Tripura and Mizoram governments have asked the central government and the Food Corp of India (FCI) to build a buffer stock of rice and other essential commodities for the northeastern states.

Rail transport is the main mode of transport in the landlocked region for supplying foodgrains and other important goods.