Lumding-Badarpur rail service soon

GUWAHATI, July 28 – The NF Railway is making efforts to start the metre gauge passenger train services very shortly on Lumding-Badarpur-Silchar section which had been cancelled from May 15 due to frequent ‘law-and-order’ incidents resulting in death of Railway staff, including the driver of a train. This was stated in a press release.It is now proposed to run a day service between Lumding and Haflong and back and Silchar and Haflong and back. For the convenience of large numbers of long-distance passengers, the night service of Cachar Express is also planned to be restored. This, however, will be done with some change in timings and the train will leave around 3 pm or so from either side so that short-distance passengers can travel.Since night patrolling of track is not possible for security reasons, the train is planned to be run at restricted speed of about 15 kmph, duly stopping at all stations.Detailed timings and the date of restoration of services are being finalized.In the meantime, all other necessary inputs are being put in place. The night train will be run with a bullet proof engine, the release added.More coaches: The North East Frontier Railway has informed that additional AC 3-tier coach was attached to South-bound 2510/2509 Guwahati-Bangalore Express. The 2508/2507 Guwahati-Ernakulum Express and 2516/2515 Guwahati-Trivandrum Express will be continued up to August 31. source: assam tribune

Suspension of trains hits Lumding-Badarpur route passengers

HAFLONG, July 28 – The people of entire southern Assam, Tripura, Manipur, etc., have been facing untold sufferings due to suspension of passenger trains between Lumding-Badarpur hill section of NF Railway following militants attack on Railwaymen during May last.The running of passengers train in this section was suspended from May 15 last, when the DHD(J) killed few railway men including driver of a train. Employees from most of the stations were also shifted to safer places. Several union bodies of the Railway personnel have opposed to work in hill section without proper security.Following the demands from neighboring states the railway began to run few goods trains to meet the supply of grains and buffer stock for these states. But the railway authority is still not in a mood to run passengers trains through this violence hit district of NC Hills.Talking to this correspondent, Sri Rakhal Dasguta , General Secretary, Mazdur Union, NF Railway, said “We are also concerned for the sufferings of the people but we cannot push our people to the jaws of death. Our people are always ready to work but at the same time we want proper security to our people.”It is learnt that the employees who were shifted from this section have returned to their respective place of posting except Phiding, Kalachand and Wadrengdisa station. source: assam tribune