Badarpur-Lumding train track restored; Oil tanker successfully passed the section

Train services in Lumding – Badarpur hill section was restored Thursday noon after an oil tanker safely passed through the damaged section between Mupa and Maibang stations.

1st train passed over the newly diverted portion at 12:00 hrs on 18.06.2020 by a temporary diversion in a length of 317 m” Northeast Frontier Railway informed over twitter.

A slight diversion has been made on the damaged section as the original alignment was not repairable.

Railways informed that no. of effective working days taken to restore the track was 10 days. “Mobilization started on 04.06.2020 & work started on 05.06.2020. Work was badly hampered due to continuous heavy rains on 05.06.20, 06.06.20 & 10.06.20, and intermittent rainfall on 11.06.2020, 12.06.2020, 14.06.2020 & 16.06.2020,” NF Railway informed.

The restoration also involved making of about 1.5 km approach road to reach the site at track level and another approach road of about 2 km to reach the toe of the bank (about 52 m below rail level).

Major works involved were:
1. Earthwork in filling = 50000 cum
2. Earthwork in cutting = 20000 cum
3. Rail piling = 800 Nos. (5200 Rm)
4. S/crate = 3000 Rm
5. U/S shingles = 2550 cum
6. Sub-surface drainage = 400 Rm
7. Side drain of size 1.65 x 1.5 m = 294 Rm.
8. Ballasting = 600 cum
9. Track linking = 317 Rmt

It can be mentioned here that rail service to the valley stalled on the night of June 1 after sinkage of the track at km 57/0-1 between Mupa and Maibang stations of hill section. As a result, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram, the three northeastern states, including Barak, have got cut from the rail map. Although the hill line was supposed to be operational from June 16, the efforts got delayed due to challenges thrown by nature.