Silchar: Fresh land subsidence near New Harangajao station has dealt another blow to restoration work on the rain-hit Lumding–Badarpur hill section. Train operations on two of the station’s three lines remained suspended for the 11th consecutive day on Sunday.Railway officials said repairs are being carried out on a war footing, but persistent rainfall and unstable soil have turned the stretch between km 118/1 and 118/3 into a “high-risk zone”, complicating efforts to stabilise the embankment.According to the NFR, around 1.5 metres of land subsided near the damaged Line-2 on Saturday. The embankment sank by another 1 metre on Sunday, affecting the adjoining Line-1 and further delaying restoration.With Lines 1 and 2 still unsafe, trains are operating only through Line-3, the lone functional track at New Harangajao. The restriction has disrupted rail traffic on the key hill section linking the Barak Valley with the rest of the country.Engineers are working to reinforce the vulnerable slope alongside Line-1, where major landslides have occurred. Large boulders are being dumped to shore up the site, and wire mesh is being installed to check further erosion and stabilise the hillside.Officials blamed the recurring subsidence on continuous rainfall and water flow from the nearby Jatinga River, which have weakened the soil. Despite heavy machinery, additional manpower and modern engineering measures, progress has been hampered by the weather. Teams are monitoring the stretch round the clock for fresh ground movement.Meanwhile, NFR has announced cancellations and rescheduling of several trains.The 15617 Guwahati-Dullabcherra Express scheduled for Aug 3 and the 15618 Dullabcherra-Guwahati Express scheduled for Aug 4 have been cancelled. The 15615 Guwahati-Silchar Express on Aug 3 and the 15616 Silchar-Guwahati Express on Aug 4 have also been cancelled.Among the rescheduled services, the 15650 Narengi-Agartala Express will depart Narengi at 10:30 pm on Aug 3, while the 15649 Agartala-Narengi Express will leave Agartala at 11:30 pm the same day.The 15609 Guwahati-Sairang Express will leave Guwahati at 11:30 pm on Aug 3, while the 15610 Sairang-Guwahati Express will depart Sairang at 9:30 pm on Aug 3.The 15611 Rangiya-Silchar Express will leave Rangiya at 11:30 pm on Aug 3. The 15612 Silchar-Rangiya Express, originally scheduled for Aug 3, has been rescheduled to depart at 5 am on Aug 4.Similarly, the 14037 Silchar-New Delhi Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express, scheduled to leave on Aug 3, has been rescheduled to depart at 4:10 am on Aug 4.Railway officials said normal services on the affected tracks would resume only after the embankment is fully stabilised and certified safe, adding that restoration work will continue on a priority basis despite the challenging weather conditions.
