Rail link with Sylhet halted for 14 hrs

Rail communication between Sylhet and other parts of the country was restored at around 5:00pm yesterday, 14 hours after it was suspended due to washing away of earth under the tracks near Bridge 157 at Bhanugachh area and in Sreemangal.

Train services between Sylhet-Dhaka and Sylhet-Chittagong had been suspended yesterday morning.

The railway authorities halted train service on the routes because the tracks had become risky, said Rustom Ali Fakir, stationmaster of Bhanugachh rail station.

A number of intercity trains, including Kalni and Joyantika, and Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains from Sylhet and Udoyon from Dhaka were halted at different spots on the route following the disruption.

The warped portion of a rail track at Bhanugach in Sreemangal of Moulvibazar after heavy rain washed away the soil underneath. Photo: Mintu Deshwara

Ali Azam, deputy assistant engineer of railway at Sylhet, said the services were suspended to avoid any mishap after land displacement under the tracks near Bridge-157 in Bhanugachh area.