DIMAPUR, JUL 4 (NPN): North East India Welfare Association Chennai (NEIWAC) has sought the intervention of Tamil Nadu governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for the restoration of the Chennai-Dimapur train service, which remained suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
A NEIWAC delegation led by its president Wapangtoshi, who is also pastor of the Naga Christian Fellowship (NCF), Chennai, met the governor at Lok Bhavan, Chennai, on July 3, 2026 and submitted a representation seeking the resumption of the train service.
During the meeting, the delegation said the Chennai-Dimapur train had been one of the most convenient and dependable modes of transport for people from the Northeast region, particularly those from Nagaland and parts of Assam and Manipur.
It said the service had facilitated travel for students pursuing higher education, patients seeking advanced medical treatment, businesspersons, working professionals and families travelling to their native places. The train had also strengthened educational, economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between Tamil Nadu and the Northeast.
The delegation pointed out that no train originating from Chennai currently passes through Dimapur railway station, forcing passengers to depend on time-consuming or more expensive alternatives.
It said the absence of a direct train had particularly affected families, elderly passengers, patients and those travelling with heavy luggage, causing considerable inconvenience to thousands of people from the Northeast residing in Tamil Nadu.
The delegation appealed to the governor to intervene and support the restoration of the Chennai-Dimapur train service.
According to NEIWAC, governor Arlekar assured the delegation that he would take up the matter with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and extend his support towards finding a positive solution.
