Relentless rain across the upper reaches of Assam has pushed the Dikho river well past its normal mark, and the rising water has poured straight into the town of Simaluguri. In the Sivasagar district, which falls under the Tinsukia division, the town itself, the station yard and the adjoining railway colony are all now under water. At Simaluguri the flood is running right over the tracks, leaving a portion of the rail line damaged and forcing officials to halt trains on the Simaluguri to Namtiali and Simaluguri to Selenghat sections until further notice, with the safety of passengers and rolling stock the deciding factor.
Long-distance trains sent on a new path
To keep services moving around the trouble spot, the North East Frontier Railway has rerouted the long-distance trains that begin at Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, guiding them through the Rangiya and Rangapara corridor instead of the flooded stretch. A number of local services have been scrapped outright, while others are being stopped short of their usual destinations. Crews and equipment have already been dispatched to the affected points, and officials say the situation is being watched closely from the top as teams work to bring operations back as quickly as they safely can.
No timeline until the water drops
For the moment, nobody can put a clock on when normal running will resume. The water sitting over the section is simply too high, and the true extent of the harm done to the track will become clear only once the level falls and staff can inspect what lies beneath.
Meals, water and refunds for stranded travelers
Passengers caught up in the diversions are not being left to fend for themselves. Those aboard the rerouted long-distance trains are being handed food packets and drinking water, and ticket refunds are on offer for anyone whose journey has been upended. Help desks have gone up at every station along the route. At Namtiali, ASTC buses and local vehicles have been arranged to ferry passengers across to Sivasagar Town station, from where a special service is being planned to carry them onward to Dibrugarh and New Tinsukia.
Hundreds moved from three express trains
The knock-on effect has hit several named services. At Selenghat station, 217 passengers who stepped off the Vivek Express, train number 22503, are being taken on by road to Mariani. At Mariani itself, help is going out to 570 passengers from the Kamrup Express, train number 15959, and to 490 passengers travelling on the Amritsar to Tinsukia Express, train number 15934.
