Passenger train services in northeast still disrupted

SILCHAR - Passenger train services between the northeastern states of Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam and the rest of India are yet to be restored even after one month of disruption following landslides, officials said Saturday.

The services were suspended in the region June 15 following heavy landslides and damage to tracks due to torrential rains.

“We are unable to announce when passenger train services between Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam and the rest of India via North Cachar Hills district would resume,” Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Spokesman Subrata Hajong told IANS over phone from Guwahati.

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

Goods trains on this section resumed services July 3 after the track was repaired partially in the area, 300 km south of Assam’s main city Guwahati.

“The work to fully repair the tracks is on,” Hajong said adding that to urgently meet the food and fuel demand in Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam, NFR was running goods trains only.

According to a senior Tripura government official, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier this week asked Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar to personally ensure regular delivery of food grains, fuel and other essential items to the northeastern states.