Railways Approve 52 New Train Stoppages in Assam on Experimental Basis

In a major push to rail connectivity in Assam, the Ministry of Railways has approved stoppages of 52 trains at multiple stations under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on an experimental basis. The decision was conveyed through a Railway Board order issued on March 2, 2026, following a proposal from NFR aimed at improving passenger access across the state.

The move comes after a formal request by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seeking additional halts to address long-standing public demands from several districts. The new stoppages will be introduced from an early convenient date and will remain subject to review based on passenger response and operational feasibility.

What Railway Board Order Says

According to the official communication, railway authorities have been instructed to closely monitor ticket sales at the concerned stations and ensure wide publicity of the newly sanctioned halts. The directive has been marked as “most urgent”.

The Assam Chief Minister’s Office termed the decision a significant relief for commuters. In a social media post, the CMO stated that, acting on the Chief Minister’s request, the Ministry had approved stoppages of multiple trains at key stations across NFR on an experimental basis, describing it as a step that will enhance connectivity and benefit thousands of daily passengers.

Big relief for rail passengers across Assam! 🚆

Acting upon the request of Hon'ble CM Dr. @himantabiswa, @RailMinIndia has approved stoppages of multiple trains at key stations across NFR on an experimental basis from an early convenient date.

This move will enhance… pic.twitter.com/NsvK6dK4LA

— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) March 3, 2026

Premium, Long-Distance Trains Included

Several prominent long-distance and premium trains feature in the list of newly approved halts. The Kanyakumari–Dibrugarh Vivek Express will now stop at Abhayapuri, while the New Jalpaiguri–Guwahati Vande Bharat Express has been granted a halt at Barpeta Road.

The Dibrugarh–New Delhi Rajdhani Express will stop at Diphu and Tatibahar, and the New Delhi–Guwahati Rajdhani Express will halt at Furkating. The Naharlagun–Guwahati Shatabdi Express has been approved to stop at Gohpur, and the SMVT Bengaluru–Agartala Humsafar Express will halt at Chandranathpur and Patharkandi.

Other major services such as the Sealdah–Sabroom Kanchenjunga Express, Delhi–Kamakhya Brahmaputra Mail, Howrah–Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, Dibrugarh–Lalgarh Awadh Assam Express, and Agartala–Anand Vihar Tejas Express have also been allotted new stoppages at stations including Bijni, Kampur, Kokrajhar, Hojai, Jagi Road, Dhekiajuli Road, Chapar, Majbat, Naharkatiya, Sarupathar, Seleng Hat and Goalpara Town, among others.

What It Means For Assam Commuters

The inclusion of premium categories such as Rajdhani, Vande Bharat, Shatabdi, Tejas and Humsafar trains is being seen as a substantial step towards expanding boarding access in semi-urban and rural pockets of Assam that earlier had limited options.

If passenger turnout remains strong and operational efficiency is not affected, the Railway Board may consider making these experimental halts permanent. For now, the decision is expected to ease travel for thousands of commuters, including students, traders and patients who rely heavily on rail connectivity to reach Guwahati and other major destinations.

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