Bullet-proof engines flagged off

Applause, crackers mark resumption of south Assam train service

Silchar, July 31: Nearly 75 days ago, locomotive driver N.N. Bora lost his life to rebel bullets as he was driving a special patrol train between Mupa and Kalachand stations in the militancy-ridden North Cachar Hills district.

Stalled ever since, trains began running only today, pulled by bullet-proof engines. Two-and-a-half months ago, they could have saved Bora’s life.

Tumultuous applause broke out across the Badarpur railway junction, 28km from this town, as the first two scheduled trains along the 104-year-old hill section in the Barail hills were flagged off from the junction in Karimganj district and Lumding station at 10am today.

The train journeys along this 185-km-long serpentine metre gauge track, famous for its scenic beauty, was stalled from May 15 after the attack on the railway staff by the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel).

The railway staff struck work after the attack and left their postings at 27 railway stations and establishments along this vital section which is linked to the metre gauge lines of Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

A total of six trains were flagged off from Lumding, Lower Haflong, Badarpur and Silchar terminus stations between 9.20am and 3.30pm.

Some of the people gathered at the stations burst crackers to express their happiness about the resumption of the passenger trains.

The morning train, which slowly started its journey from Badarpur junction, had about 200 passengers in 10 coaches.

There was as many as 19 security personnel drawn from the army, Assam police and the Railway Protection Security Force to escort the train from Badarpur.

Nupur Malakar was the driver of the train which steamed off this morning from Badarpur station.

However, the operating staff, including the drivers and guards, refused to wear the bullet-proof jackets, weighing nearly 15.5kg, saying they were cumbersome.

At least eight bullet-proof trains are now stationed at Badarpur railway station. Source: telegraph india

Bullet-proof engines for Silchar passenger trains

July 29: Four passenger trains pulled by bullet-proof engines will chug down the Silchar-Lumding stretch “any day this week”, two-and-a-half months after a militant attack forced the Northeast Frontier Railway to suspend services on the route.

The NFR today said they are also planning to run an express train between Silchar and Guwahati via Lumding, but all services will be available only during the day for security reasons.
The trains will be provided with the armed guards, to be handpicked from the Assam police battalions, Railway Protection Security Force and the CRPF, among others.

“The idea of introducing bullet-proof engines is to instil some confidence in our engine drivers and boost their morale,” NF Railway general manager Ashutosh Swami had said recently.
The NFR plans to replace the lookout glasses and shutter windows in the locomotives with bullet-proof glass sheets. “The remaining body of the train engine will be covered with bulletproof steel sheets.”

Rail services on the 185-km-long stretch between Silchar and Lumding were withdrawn after DHD (J) rebels gunned down a locomotive driver and injured three on May 15 — the day 10 truckers were gunned down by members of the outfit elsewhere in the district.

Twenty-seven railway stations were also closed down following the attack, as agitated railway workers vandalised Lumding railway division, demanding withdrawal of staff from the killing zone.

While goods trains began plodding gingerly down the route within a few days, passenger trains have remained suspended so far.

The NFR had provided bullet-proof jackets borrowed from the army to train drivers and operating staff on the route and now it has decided to employ bullet-proof engines as well.

Though the railway authorities declined to spell out exactly when the passenger train services would resume, sources said August 3 was the likely date.The news of resumption of rail services comes at a time when student organisations in Cachar and North Cachar Hills have decided to launch an agitation to demand that work on the gauge conversion project between Silchar and Lumding be expedited.

The All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association and the All Dimasa Students’ Union agreed to begin the joint movement in Barak Valley and North Cachar Hills districts on Wednesday.

The All India Democratic Students Organisation has also decided to organise a demonstration in Barak Valley districts on Wednesday.

The All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association and All Dimasa Students’ Union will hold a joint demonstration in the three Barak Valley districts and North Cachar Hills on Friday. On August 8, they will enforce a 12-hour bandh in all four districts. source: telegraph india