N Bengal train ops paralysed for second day over repeated track subsidence
Times of India | 5 September 2026
Malda: Train services between Kolkata and north Bengal remained severely disrupted for the second straight day on Friday following repeated track subsidence caused by continuous heavy rainfall between New Farakka and Tildanga stations in Malda division.
Rainwater seeped into the embankment between the UP and DN tracks, while water from an adjacent pond eroded the clay foundation. Initial repair efforts allowed temporary track restoration on Thursday afternoon, but further soil subsidence in the evening forced authorities to cancel diverted services as well.
Scores of long-distance trains, including the northbound and southbound Vande Bharat Express, Shatabdi Express, Darjeeling Mail and Padatik Express, were cancelled for Friday and Saturday.
The cancellations and unexpected halts stranded thousands of passengers. Tapan Biswas from Islampur and Santanu Saha from Malda reached Sealdah only to discover their scheduled trains, Kanchankanya Express and Gour Express, were cancelled at short notice. At Malda station, passengers reported an absence of timetable updates for delayed trains like Amrit Bharat Express.
Others experienced mid-journey delays. Amrita Saha, travelling on Uttarbanga Express, spent hours on open tracks without access to food or water before reaching Malda more than six hours behind schedule. Eastern Railway later set up emergency food and drinking water counters at Tildanga, Ballalpur and New Farakka Junction.
General manager Gitika Pandey inspected the site to oversee stabilisation work, which involved six piling rigs, stone dust packing and 400 workers drawn from local areas and Howrah Division. “Our priority during such adverse weather conditions is the uncompromising safety of our operations and swift restoration of services,” Pandey said.
Eastern Railway announced plans to collaborate with IITs and implement AI technology post-monsoon to study soil conditions near water bodies and prevent future embankment failures.