NFR Boosts Safety and Speed in Lumding–Badarpur Hill Section with Major Infrastructure Upgrades

Guwahati, 9th October, 2025: In a significant stride toward improving railway safety and efficiency, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has executed a series of crucial infrastructure and safety enhancement projects in the Lumding–Badarpur Hill section, one of the most challenging terrains under Indian Railways.

According to Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, NFR has successfully completed major retrofitting work on Bridge No. 359 (3x18.3m Composite Girder) located between Bihara and Hilara at Kilometer 159/2-3. The extensive rehabilitation, completed in September 2025, involved concrete removal, grouting, dowelling, and micro-concreting. With the retrofitting complete, the earlier 45 kmph speed restriction has been lifted, and the sectional speed has now been increased to 75 kmph, ensuring faster and safer train operations across the section.

Beyond bridge rehabilitation, significant progress has also been made in improving track safety between Dihakhu and Mupa at Kilometer 51/1-2, a critical area along a 55-meter steep slope. After close monitoring since May 2025, NFR deployed permanent watchmen and initiated a track diversion and realignment project. The engineering team successfully executed the cut and connection work for the new alignment during a four-hour night block in September 2025. The track now lies 15 meters away from the slope, greatly enhancing safety and allowing additional slope stabilization for long-term security.

These infrastructure upgrades represent a major advancement in NFR’s ongoing efforts to strengthen operational safety, reliability, and efficiency across the Lumding–Badarpur Hill section. The initiatives reaffirm NFR’s commitment to ensuring secure, uninterrupted, and passenger-friendly train operations through the region’s demanding hilly terrain.