Katihar/Patna: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has restored the regular routes of several major trains under the Katihar rail division after completing track doubling and pre-non interlocking works.
Railway officials said the engineering work, undertaken to modernise rail infrastructure and improve train speeds, was completed in record time. Temporary route diversions introduced for safety reasons during the construction phase were withdrawn from Saturday.
An official notification has been issued by the NFR headquarters in Maligaon, confirming the resumption of normal operations.
Rajdhani and express trains back on schedule
According to the revised operational schedule, the following trains have resumed their conventional routes:
- 12424 New Delhi–Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express will now operate on its original route with scheduled halts restored.
- 20503 Dibrugarh–New Delhi Rajdhani Express has also returned to its regular alignment from Saturday.
- 22411 Naharlagun–Anand Vihar Terminal Express, connecting Arunachal Pradesh with Delhi, has resumed service on its designated track.
Railway officials said the restoration is expected to reduce travel disruptions for passengers travelling between Delhi and the northeastern states.
Passengers advised to check live updates
NFR has asked passengers to verify train timings before departure, noting that minor schedule adjustments may continue during the initial phase of route restoration.
To support passengers, the railway has strengthened its information channels:
- SMS alerts are being sent through the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) to passengers with existing reservations.
- Rail Madad and helpline 139 remain available for real-time train status and location updates through call and IVRS services.
Track doubling expected to improve punctuality
Railway officials in Katihar said the commissioning of double lines on the Katihar–Sonaili and Katihar–Kumedpur sections is expected to significantly improve punctuality.
The additional line will reduce delays caused by train crossings, a long-standing operational bottleneck on the route.
Officials said passenger and freight trains travelling towards Patna, Kolkata and Delhi from Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri (NJP) could see speed gains of 15 to 20 kmph.
Operations normal at Katihar Junction
Train movement at Katihar Junction was reported to be running smoothly from Saturday morning, with passengers getting relief after several days of diversions and irregular arrangements at intermediate stations.
