Railway services restored in Dagestan after severe flooding

The North Caucasus Railway (NCWR) has fully resumed passenger and suburban train operations across Dagestan following extensive damage caused by severe rainfall.

Flash floods on March 28–29 and April 5 washed out two track sections, toppled supports, and collapsed spans of two bridges, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

To repair the damage, NCWR deployed 200 specialists along with heavy machinery and wagons carrying ballast, rubble, and tetrapods to reinforce embankments and inspect infrastructure. Track and road maintenance teams operated in an enhanced mode to minimize disruptions.

Dagestan’s Ministry of Transport evacuated 119 passengers from two suburban trains on the Makhachkala–Derbent route using five buses, later deploying 24 additional buses to Makhachkala, Khasavyurt, and Derbent stations.

A total of 12 suburban rail services were canceled due to the flooding. NCWR rerouted nine trains via Kizilyurt–Kizlyar–Gudermes, transporting around 3,000 passengers.

The floods caused widespread disruption, cutting communication with 97 settlements, closing 14 roads, and forcing the evacuation of more than 4,000 residents after a dam breach. A regional state of emergency has been declared in Dagestan.

By Nazrin Sadigova