After the derailment of six coaches, engine and the power car of Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express on Thursday at Dibalong in Assam, the normal train services were restored on Friday in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section, officials said.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that SMVT Bengaluru-Agartala Express became the first train to pass through the accident-affected section at Dibalong.
“Normal train services in the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section that were affected due to the derailment of Mumbai bound Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express on Thursday have been restored on Friday,” Sharma told IANS.
He said that special train, food and water were arranged for the stranded passengers.
NFR officials said that no casualties or major injuries have been reported, only some people sustained minor injuries.
The officials said that the Mumbai-bound Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express left Agartala station on Thursday morning. Six coaches, the power car and the engine, went off track in Dibalong at around 4 p.m.
An accident relief train and an accident relief medical train immediately reached the accident site from Lumding along with senior officials of the Lumding Division to supervise the rescue and restoration works.
After the accident, the movement of trains on the Lumding-Badarpur single-line section was suspended on Thursday.
The CPRO said that as a result of the derailment, many trains were cancelled, short terminated and rescheduled on Thursday.
The cancelled trains include Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Special train, Rangiya-Silchar-Rangiya Express, New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati Special train and Silchar-Guwahati-Silchar Express.
Due to the derailment of coaches, train services between Manipur, southern Assam, Tripura and Mizoram were affected on Thursday.
Meanwhile, defence sources on Friday said that Army and Assam Rifles troops swiftly responded to provide humanitarian assistance to the stranded passengers of the railways.
They have provided food and drinking water to the stranded passengers and helped the railway authority in the restoration of the train services.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha, who are away from their states to attend the NDA Chief Ministers' conclave in Chandigarh, expressed their happiness as no fatalities occurred in the train mishap.
Many express and local trains connecting Manipur, southern Assam, Tripura and Mizoram pass through the single track of the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section located in the mountainous Dima Hasao district.
People of southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur bear the brunt of floods during monsoon every year while the railway tracks, stations and other infrastructure get damaged due to flooding and landslides during the four-month-long monsoon from June to September.
Rs 24000 Cr spend for expansion and development of National Highways in Tripura: MP Biplab Kumar Deb
MP for West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday chaired MP’s Road Safety Committee Meeting here at Agartala and reviewed ongoing initiatives and discussed actionable steps to enhance road safety across the region.
BSF seizes drugs valued at Rs 4.41 crore in Tripura
Seizure of varied drugs, arms, ammunition, explosives and exotic animals in different northeastern states by the security forces continues unabated with highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at more than Rs 4.41 crore confiscated in Tripura on Wednesday, officials said.
CM Dr Manik Saha seeks financial assistance from Centre to make Tripura self-sufficiency in production of milk, egg, fish and meat
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Wednesday attended a high level task force meeting of the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) chaired by the Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia from Delhi.
CM Dr Manik Saha directs police to take prompt legal action against drug traffickers
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Wednesday chaired a meeting through video conferencing with the District Magistrates and Superintendent of Police of all the eight districts of the state and directed to listen to the people’s grievances and fix them accordingly for the overall development of the state.
Special traffic drive in GB Bazar to control congestion
In a bid to ease traffic congestion and maintain order on the roads, the traffic police conducted a special drive in the GB Bazar area of the capital this morning. The operation focused on removing several motorbikes that were improperly parked, violating traffic regulations.
Showers bring respite from heat in Tripura, Yellow alert issued
After days of oppressive heat, a sudden spell of rain swept across Tripura on Wednesday afternoon, offering much-needed relief to residents. The rainfall comes as the Meteorological Department issues a yellow alert for the next three days.
Tripura CM asks officials to visit rural areas each month and resolve problems swiftly
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday instructed the District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) of each district to visit the rural areas of their respective jurisdictions every month and take prompt action in case of any deficiencies, and resolve the problems that arise.
National Herald case: Congress protests outside ED offices in northeastern states
Congress leaders claimed that through false allegations, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the direction of the Central government filed a chargesheet against the party's Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, among others.