North Frontier Rly to resume train services to N Bengal from Monday

Kolkata: The North Frontier Railway is likely to resume train services to North Bengal from Monday. A trial run to examine whether the damaged railway track is fit for travel will be carried out in presence of the Army on Sunday following which the services will be resumed.

A portion of the railway tracks was inundated following heavy rains in North Bengal for nearly 72 hours and train services were suspended from August 12. The railway networks were badly damaged in Kishanganj, Katihar and Araria districts of Bihar. Tracks on a bridge upon a river near Kishanganj railway station was the worst affected.

Railway engineers have carried on restoration work on a war footing and are hopeful that services will resume from Monday. "The parameters of the track will be examined to assess whether the tracks will be fit to run all the trains," NFR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said.

All the trains between northeastern states and the rest of India pass through New Jalpaiguri station in North Bengal and Katihar station in Bihar. "We are not too sure whether all the trains will be operational. We will inform the train details after the trial," an NFR official said.