For the first time since Independence, Mizoram is set to be connected to the Indian Railways network, as the long-awaited 51.38 km Bairabi–Sairang Railway Project nears inauguration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who laid the foundation stone of the project in 2014, is scheduled to dedicate the line to the people of Mizoram on September 13.
Costing Rs 8,071 crore, the project has taken over a decade to complete since its sanction in 2008-09. Linking the state capital Aizawl to the national railway grid, the line passes through Silchar in Assam and is expected to reshape travel, trade and access to essential services in the hilly state.
Until now, Mizoram had only a token presence of Indian Railways in the form of the Bairabi station on the Assam border, operational since the late 1990s. Located over 100 kilometres from Aizawl, it offered no meaningful connectivity to the state’s heartland. The 51.38-km Bairabi–Sairang project changes that by extending the railway deep into Mizoram for the first time, linking the capital region to the national grid since Independence.
According to KK Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Bairabi–Sairang Railway Project, the new line will connect five stations, Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, Bairabi and Sairang. “The Bairabi Sairang Railway Project is 51.38 km long, which connects Mizoram’s capital Aizawl to the mainstream of Indian Railways. This project was started in 2014 when PM Modi laid its foundation stone. It took 11 years, and now this project is completely ready. The PM is going to inaugurate it very soon,” Sharma said.
The engineering feat includes 48 tunnels spanning nearly 13 km and 142 bridges, of which 55 are major structures. Among them, Bridge No. 196 stands at 104 metres, taller than Delhi’s Qutub Minar. Through this line, the train will reduce the travel time between Silchar and Aizawl from 7 hours to 3 hours. Additionally, from Guwahati, the travel time will be reduced from eighteen hours to twelve hours.
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Officials and residents believe the project will not only cut travel time but also bring down costs of essential commodities, open up opportunities for students and patients, and provide a major boost to tourism.
“Now, by train, we will be able to reach Silchar from Aizawl in three hours, and Guwahati from Aizawl in 12 hours. It will become very easy for the local people and students. Getting medical facilities would also be easier. The price of things will also decrease. The prices of things are very high because it takes a lot of time and effort to reach here. The tourism will also get a boost,” Sharma added.
Trial runs were completed in May this year, followed by safety inspections in June. The Commissioner of Railway Safety has since cleared the track for passenger operations, allowing trains to run at speeds up to 90 km per hour. With the line operational, Mizoram’s Gross State Domestic Product is expected to benefit from enhanced connectivity, providing an affordable and reliable transport corridor that links the remote hill state to the broader economy.
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