Indian Railways has suspended train operations in the Simaluguri area of Assam due to severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the upstream catchment of the Dikhow River. The flooding has affected Simaluguri town in Sibsagar district, including the station yard and railway colony, with floodwater also overtopping the railway tracks near Simaluguri.
As a result, train services on the Simaluguri-Namtiali and Simaluguri-Selenghat sections have been suspended until further notice to ensure the safety of trains and passengers. Long-distance trains from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia have been diverted via the Rangiya-Rangapara route, while several local trains have been cancelled or short-terminated, according to Kapinjal K Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway.
The Northeast Frontier Railway is working to restore train movement at the earliest, with necessary measures being taken and required men and materials dispatched to the affected locations. However, due to the high water level, it is currently not possible to determine the expected time of restoration. Only once the water level recedes can the exact damage to the tracks be ascertained.
In the meantime, the Northeast Frontier Railway has arranged for food packets, drinking water, and ticket refund facilities for affected passengers. Help desks have been set up at all stations, and ASTC buses and local vehicles are being provided at Namtiali to transport passengers to Sibsagar Town station. A special train has also been planned for Dibrugarh and New Tinsukia.
Passengers detraining from affected trains are being transported by road to their destinations. For instance, 217 passengers from the 22503 Vivek Express at Selenghat are being transported to Mariani, while 570 passengers of the 15959 Kamrup Express and 490 passengers of the 15934 Amritsar Tinsukia Express detraining at Mariani are being facilitated.
The full list of affected trains is available, with several trains diverted and cancelled due to the flood situation in Simaluguri.
