Haflong | Train services on the Lumding-Badarpur hill section may face prolonged disruption as railway authorities struggle to restore two damaged tracks near New Harangajao, where underground water has complicated repair work.

Around 200 metres of track between New Haflong and New Harangajao stations has reportedly sunk, forcing the suspension of train movement on Lines 1 and 2 for more than a month as a safety precaution. Limited services are currently being operated through Line 3.

According to railway sources, repair work has been underway on a war footing for over a month. However, continuous seepage of underground water has repeatedly disrupted efforts to stabilise the affected stretch.

Initial attempts to restore the tracks by filling the sunken portion with soil proved unsuccessful as water continued to seep from deeper layers. Railway authorities are now undertaking piling work to control and drain the underground water and strengthen the unstable section.

The monsoon has further complicated the situation, with heavy rainfall worsening soil and groundwater conditions in the hilly terrain. Railway authorities have so far been unable to provide a definite timeline for restoring Lines 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is examining an alternative solution-constructing a bridge across the affected stretch and laying the tracks over it instead of relying on soil filling.

Railway sources said the bridge option could offer a more durable solution by bypassing the unstable soil and groundwater conditions beneath the track. However, such construction would require considerably more time.

In view of the difficulties, authorities are reportedly considering maintaining limited long-distance train services through Line 3 while undertaking extensive reconstruction of Lines 1 and 2.

A railway source said a mega block of around six months cannot be ruled out, although no final decision has been taken.

The duration of the disruption would depend on the nature and scale of reconstruction, passenger service requirements and the feasibility of maintaining limited operations through alternative arrangements.

The New Harangajao stretch is a critical part of the Lumding-Badarpur hill section, which connects the Barak Valley with several parts of the Northeast. A prolonged disruption could affect passenger movement as well as the transportation of essential goods.

The immediate challenge for the railways is to determine whether the affected lines can be restored through conventional soil-filling and stabilisation measures or whether a more time-consuming bridge solution will be required.