Railways cancel several trains to North Bengal amid widespread floods

North Bengal is currently grappling with a severe natural disaster as relentless, incessant heavy rainfall, particularly in the Dooars region, has led to widespread flooding and perilous conditions. With some areas recording over 350 millimeters of rain, the disaster has drastically impacted everyday life, most notably crippling the region's rail network. The resulting cancellations and diversions of numerous long-distance trains have sparked anxiety and inconvenience for thousands of commuters and travelers.

The disruption is concentrated primarily in the Alipurduar Railway Division, where the Indian Railways has issued an official statement detailing the changes. The severe weather conditions have forced the cancellation of at least four major passenger trains. The cancelled trains include the New Jalpaiguri-Alipurduar-New Jalpaiguri Passenger Special, the Dhubri-Siliguri DEMU, the Siliguri-Bamanhat Express, and the Siliguri-New Bongaigaon DEMU.

In addition to the cancellations, several train services have had their routes curtailed or shortened. The 15768 Alipurduar Junction – Siliguri Junction Intercity Express will now terminate its journey at Binnaguri instead of Siliguri. Similarly, the 75741 Siliguri Junction – Dhubri DEMU will only travel up to Gulma, and the 75726 New Bongaigaon – Siliguri Junction DEMU will stop at New Cooch Behar.

Furthermore, the continuous rainfall has necessitated the diversion of routes for several long-distance passenger trains to ensure safety and continuity of service. Affected services include prominent long-distance express trains such as the Sealdah-Alipurduar Kanchenjunga Express, the Alipurduar-Delhi Sikkim Mahananda Express, the Kamakhya-Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Express, the Sairang-Khagaria Special, the Amritsar-New Tinsukia, the Anand Vihar Terminal-Kamakhya Express, and the Delhi-Alipurduar Junction Express.

The meteorological situation remains critical. The weather office has issued a Red Alert for the next 24 hours in the districts of Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, with expectations of rainfall exceeding 200 mm in certain areas. An Orange Alert has also been declared for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Jalpaiguri.