Imphal: A goods train carrying 25,000 rice bags for Manipur was forced to return to Jiribam on Tuesday due to heavy rains damaging the railway track near Khongsang.
The goods train carrying rice in 21 wagons was en-route to the Khongsang Railway Station in Noney district when excessive rainfall washed away the crushed stone that supports the railway tracks, said Kohima-based Defence PRO Lt Col Amit Shukla.
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The damage posed a significant risk of track instability and misalignment. Soldiers of the Territorial Army patrol, deployed along Jiribam to Khongsang railway line, noticed the damage and promptly raised an alarm on the impending danger, he said.
The railway authorities were immediately informed and the approaching goods train was stopped at Tamenglong district’s Kambiron by the Army personnel. The timely intervention by the Territorial Army prevented what could have been a major train accident, he added.
The Jiribam-Imphal railway line, currently under construction, is expected to improve connectivity and reduce reliance on road transport, which is often disrupted by landslides and blockades.
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Repair work on the damaged track is underway, and the resumption of rice transportation by rail is anticipated once the repairs are complete.
The Manipur government has started transportation of clean rice from Jiribam on the Assam-Manipur border to Khongsang on the train following bad road conditions on the NH-37 and multiple threats posed by the anti-socials on this lifeline.
The 111-kilometer-long Jiribam-Imphal railway line project has so far been completed only up to Khongsang railway station.
Meanwhile, the repair works of the damaged railway tracks have been in full swing. The transportation of rice will be resumed on the rail after repairing works are completed.