Kokrajhar (Assam)— Railway services across Lower Assam and parts of North Bengal were severely disrupted early Thursday after unidentified miscreants detonated a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) on a railway track in Kokrajhar district, officials confirmed.
The explosion occurred shortly after midnight, around five kilometres from Kokrajhar railway station on the route toward Salakati. The blast tore apart nearly three feet of the railway line, with fragments of the damaged track scattered several metres away, an official said.
Kokrajhar Senior Superintendent of Police Pushpraj Singh stated that there were no casualties or derailments reported. “The damage was confined to a small portion of the track, which was swiftly repaired. Train movement has now resumed,” he said.
Train operations were halted overnight, affecting multiple Up and Down trains across Lower Assam and northern West Bengal until around 8 a.m. Railway and security personnel conducted detailed inspections before restoring full services.
Authorities have intensified security along the affected stretch and launched an investigation to trace those responsible for the blast.
According to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, the incident took place around 1 a.m. near Kokrajhar station under the Alipurduar Division. “A goods train reported a heavy jerk between Salakati and Kokrajhar. On inspection, damage to the track and sleepers was found, caused by a suspected bomb blast,” he said.
The track was restored by 5:25 a.m., and normal train operations resumed shortly after. Around eight trains faced delays due to the explosion. Security forces, including State Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF), and intelligence agencies, are jointly investigating the case. Patrolling has been intensified along the section to prevent further incidents, the CPRO added.
