Guwahati, March 4: In a major development for rail passengers in Assam, the Ministry of Railways has cleared new stoppages for 52 trains at various stations under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on an experimental basis, significantly expanding access to key routes across the state.
The decision follows a formal appeal by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who sought additional train halts in response to sustained public demands from multiple districts. The newly approved stoppages will come into effect from an early convenient date and will remain subject to review. Their continuation will depend on passenger patronage and operational feasibility. Railway officials have been instructed to closely track ticket sales at the designated stations and ensure wide publicity so that commuters are aware of the expanded access. The directive was marked “most urgent,” reflecting the priority accorded to the initiative. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the move is expected to bring substantial relief to daily commuters and strengthen rail connectivity across Assam.
Several prominent long-distance and premium trains are among those receiving additional 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 at Furkating.
Other key services included in the approval are the Naharlagun–Guwahati Shatabdi Express, which will halt at Gohpur, and the SMVT Bengaluru–Agartala Humsafar Express, now scheduled to stop at Chandranathpur and Patharkandi. Additional long-distance trains such as the Sealdah–Sabroom Kanchenjunga Express, Delhi–Kamakhya Brahmaputra Mail, Howrah–Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, Dibrugarh–Lalgarh Awadh Assam Express and the Agartala–Anand Vihar Tejas Express will also begin halting at stations including Bijni, Kampur, Kokrajhar, Hojai, Jagi Road, Dhekiajuli Road, Chapar, Majbat, Naharkatiya, Sarupathar, Seleng Hat and Goalpara Town.
The inclusion of premium categories such as Rajdhani, Vande Bharat, Shatabdi, Tejas and Humsafar trains is seen as a significant step for semi-urban and rural regions that previously had limited boarding options. Should passenger turnout remain strong and railway operations continue smoothly, the Railway Board may consider converting these experimental stoppages into permanent ones. For now, the expanded halts are expected to ease travel for students, traders, patients and daily commuters who rely on rail connections to Guwahati and other major destinations.
