Rail Services Disrupted: The Northeast Frontier Railway cancelled nine trains on December 20.
Rail connectivity on one of Assam’s most crucial railway corridors—the Lumding–Guwahati section of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR)—came to a near standstill on Saturday after the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed following a collision with 7 wild elephants in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding Division.
The impact led to the derailment of the engine and five coaches of the Rajdhani Express. The Northeast Frontier Railway cancelled nine trains on December 20, significantly impacting daily commuters and long-distance travellers alike.
Services cancelled for the day included:
Rangiya–New Tinsukia Express
Guwahati–Jorhat Town Jan Shatabdi Express
Guwahati–Badarpur Vistadome Express
New Tinsukia–Rangiya Express
Mariani–Guwahati Express
Lumding–Guwahati Passenger
Jorhat Town–Guwahati Jan Shatabdi Express
Badarpur–Guwahati Vistadome Express
Guwahati–Lumding Passenger
No passengers or railway staff were injured; the collision proved fatal for wildlife. Seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed on the spot, and a calf was injured, once again highlighting the growing human–wildlife conflict along railway tracks in Assam.
The incident triggered widespread disruption across Assam and parts of the Northeast, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and forcing the railway administration to cancel and regulate multiple services.
Several other trains scheduled to pass through the affected Jamunamukh–Kampur section were diverted through the UP line, while some long-distance services were short-terminated or regulated. The disruption left scores of passengers stranded at stations across Assam. At Guwahati railway station, large crowds were seen from early morning as most scheduled trains were cancelled.
The accident occurred in the early hours of the morning when the high-speed Rajdhani Express, carrying approximately 650 passengers, collided with a herd of elephants.
According to Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, the loco pilot spotted a large herd estimated to be close to 100 elephants crossing the tracks around 2.30 am. Emergency brakes were applied, but the train could not stop in time and collided with the animals.
Senior railway officials, including the General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway, rushed to the accident site to oversee restoration and safety operations. Emergency response teams were deployed promptly, and track restoration work is underway to resume traffic as soon as possible.
The tragic incident has once again drawn attention to the recurring problem of elephants being killed by speeding trains in Assam. The state is home to an estimated 7,000 wild Asiatic elephants—one of the highest concentrations in India. Since 2020, at least a dozen elephants have reportedly been killed in train-related accidents across the state, underlining the urgent need for effective mitigation measures such as speed restrictions, improved monitoring, and better coordination between railway and forest authorities to protect both wildlife and vital transport infrastructure.
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