A total of 1,600 passengers had been stuck in Lower Haflong, 400 in Harengajao and another 500 in Maibong in the Lumding-Badarpur section of NF Railway due to breaches in over 90 places on the tracks on account of landslides following heavy rains during the past one week.
"The passengers at Maibong were taken by foot to the nearest accessible point at KM-61 from where they were evacuated by a special train to Lumding last evening," NF Railway General Manager Ranjit Singh Virdi told reporters here.
He said the evacuation of passengers from Lower Haflong has also started since this morning and only 412 passengers remained in the place.
"As for the 400 passengers at Harengajao, we are hopeful of starting operation to evacuate them later this evening. They will be shifted to Badarpur in Cachar district," he said.
The passengers were travelling in various trains including the Silchar-Lumding Express and the Lumding-Agartala Express and were stranded after massive landslides disrupted service following heavy rainfall.
Virdi said normal operations would resume in the section only after 20-25 days.
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"There has been serious damage to tracks and in Tunnel Number 17 the entire hill has shifted. If the weather remain okay, then hopefully normal services will be restored in about 20-25 days," he said.
Virdi said the railway authorities took care of the food, medical and other needs of the stranded passengers, with help from local NGOs and district authority.