Guwahati, 25 July (HS): Severe flooding caused by the overflowing Dikhow River has disrupted railway operations in the Simaluguri section of Assam's Sivasagar district, forcing the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to regulate, cancel and divert several passenger trains.

According to the NFR, continuous heavy rainfall in the upstream catchment areas has submerged railway tracks and adjoining areas, with floodwaters overtopping the tracks near Simaluguri. Train movement between the Simaluguri–Namtiali and Simaluguri–Selenghat sections has been suspended until further notice in the interest of passenger safety.

Railway officials said restoration work is underway on a war footing under the supervision of senior officers, with engineering teams engaged in round-the-clock monitoring to restore normal operations at the earliest.

As a result, several long-distance trains, including Rajdhani Express, Kamrup Express, Avadh Assam Express and Vivek Express, have been diverted via the Rangiya–Rangapara–Dibrugarh route. The Nagaland Express has been short-terminated at Mariani, while multiple passenger, DEMU and Intercity services between Guwahati, Tinsukia, Ledo, Rangiya, Lumding and Jorhat have been cancelled.

To assist stranded passengers, the NFR has extended the operation of several special trains between Lumding–Mariani, Tinsukia–Bhojo and New Tinsukia–Moranhat for additional trips over the next few days.

The railway administration has advised passengers to check the latest train status before commencing their journey, as restoration work continues in the flood-affected section.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash