Silchar-Guwahati Railway Rail-Route To Resume Ops From 4:00 PM; NF Rail Arranges Bus Transfers For Stranded Passengers

The derailed railway track segment between Jatinga Lampur and New Harangajao stations in the Lumding division is anticipated to be restored for regular commute by 4 PM today. Engineers from the NF Railway division toiled through the night to rectify the track. With polling underway today for the two constituencies in the Barak Valley, there was a surge of passengers traveling from Guwahati to Silchar. Railway authorities have taken proactive measures to ensure stranded passengers reach their destinations, arranging buses accordingly.

Even prior to the derailment incident, overcrowding and congestion on the train route led many passengers to resort to climbing onto the engine of the Guwahati-Silchar Express to reach their destinations. Visuals of this incident circulated widely on social media platforms.

Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), informed Barak Bulletin that train services are expected to resume from 4 PM today as repair works on the derailed track near completion. Responding to inquiries regarding the overcrowded train, the CPRO clarified, “The incident depicted in the visuals occurred at 8:40 AM yesterday at New Haflong station. However, upon reaching Ditokcherra, the passengers who had climbed onto the engine were safely disembarked, and the train continued its journey smoothly.” A passenger aboard the same train recounted on Facebook that an additional coach was appended to the train at Ditokcheera, accommodating passengers who were outside.

Addressing the issue of stranded passengers, Sabyasachi De stated, “Presently, there are no passengers stranded en route. Those affected by train cancellations were stationed at Lumding station, where we have arranged buses up to Badarpur. Last night, there were approximately 550-600 passengers at the peak, for whom we arranged transportation. Additionally, many passengers arranged for hired buses and taxis independently. Currently, there are around 100 passengers at Lumding station, with buses en route to assist them.”

Due to limited train services on the Guwahati-Silchar route on Thursday, many passengers were compelled to climb onto the engine of the Guwahati-Silchar Express to reach their destinations. This surge in demand was attributed to ongoing polling, allowing citizens to exercise their democratic rights. Images and videos of the overcrowded train quickly circulated on social media platforms, with netizens facetiously dubbing it “The Train to Bangladesh,” in reference to the Bengali-speaking populace of the region.