The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has rolled out a series of preventive measures to curb incidents of buffalo dashing — collisions between trains and stray livestock — in the strategically critical Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section under the Lumding Division, officials announced on Thursday, 7 May 2025. The initiatives combine physical infrastructure upgrades with community outreach across villages adjoining the vulnerable stretch.

Fencing Work Underway at Key Tunnels

As part of the safety enhancement drive, NFR has completed fencing of approximately 150 metres between tunnel number 16 and bridge number 262 on both sides of the track. The barriers are designed to restrict the movement of buffaloes and cattle onto the railway line near tunnel approaches — locations identified as high-risk based on past incident data.

Fencing work near tunnel number 10 and tunnel number 12 is currently in progress and is being expedited for early completion, according to officials. These tunnels form part of the hill section's most accident-prone corridors, where terrain and vegetation make cattle straying particularly difficult to monitor.

Awareness Campaigns in Vulnerable Villages

Alongside physical barriers, NFR is conducting extensive awareness campaigns in villages located close to the New Harangajao-Ditokcherra section, one of the stretches most frequently affected by buffalo-dashing incidents. Railway officials, working in coordination with village councils and local residents, are sensitising communities about the dangers posed by cattle trespassing on tracks and inside tunnels.

During these campaigns, pamphlets are being distributed and awareness posters displayed at key locations, urging livestock owners to keep animals away from railway premises. NFR has appealed to cattle owners and residents to actively cooperate in preventing such accidents.

What Officials Said

Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway, said the railway remains committed to ensuring safe and uninterrupted train operations through continuous monitoring, infrastructure strengthening, and community participation. He noted that the preventive initiatives have been intensified specifically in locations where buffalo-dashing incidents have been reported frequently in the past.

Sharma emphasised that the dual approach — combining fencing with awareness — is expected to significantly reduce the chances of cattle straying onto tracks and avoid cattle-train collisions, thus improving overall operational safety in the hill section.

Why the Lumding-Badarpur Section Is Critical

The Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section is one of the most strategically significant railway corridors in Northeast India, serving as a vital rail link connecting the region's hinterland to the rest of the country. The hilly terrain, dense forest cover, and proximity of villages to the tracks make it particularly susceptible to livestock intrusion. This is not the first time NFR has had to address the issue — buffalo dashing has been a recurring operational challenge in this stretch for years, underscoring the need for sustained, multi-pronged intervention. With fencing nearing completion at several tunnel approaches and community engagement ongoing, NFR aims to make measurable progress in reducing such incidents in the months ahead.