Work on rail connectivity with the state capital Aizawl on expressway, scheduled for completion in 2023 | Popgen Tech

In a major step towards expanding rail connectivity in the Northeast, work on the Bairabi-Sairang rail line project will be completed.

The 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang Rail Line project has achieved 82 percent completion by November 30, 2022, informed the Ministry of Railways.

This project has been awarded the status of “Project of National Importance” and will provide seamless connectivity to Mizoram’s capital, Aizawl, and the rest of the country.

First BG train in 2016

Mizoram, one of the seven sister states of the Northeast, is the southernmost state in the region sharing domestic borders with the states of Assam, Tripura and Manipur and international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Railways saw the light of day in Mizoram when the Broad Gauge (BG) train entered Mizoram on May 27, 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was delayed in the Silchar-Bairabi daily passenger train.

This was done by converting the existing Silchar-Bairabi railway system to broad gauge.

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) currently runs passenger train services between Silchar in Assam and Bairabi in Mizoram to serve local passengers.

Status Update

Towards its mission to provide BG connectivity to the capital cities of all states in the Northeast region, the Northeast Frontier Railway is executing the Bairabi-Sairang rail project to connect Aizawl (capital of Mizoram).

From Bairabi there will be four stations namely, Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and Sairang, which is about 20 km from Aizawl.

This project includes the construction of four new stations and 12.6 km of tunnel work. There will be 55 major bridges, 87 minor bridges and 11 Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges on this stretch.

Bairabi-Sairang project was sanctioned in 2008-09. The foundation stone of this project was laid on November 29, 2014 and is expected to be completed by December 2023.

The initial cost of the project was estimated at Rs 2,384 crore, which was later revised to Rs 5,021.45 crore. Till last year an amount of Rs 3,763.63 crore has already been spent to execute the project.

Survey for new lines

Indian Railways has completed survey work for two new BG Railway lines in the state.

A 43.15-km-long rail link between Patharkandi in Assam and Kanhmun in Mizoram will provide another entry into Mizoram apart from the existing station at Bairabi. The proposed line will have a length of 1.86 km in Mizoram and 41.29 km in Assam.

The other survey is a 266-km-long rail link between Sairang and Hbichhuah, which will be an extension of the Bairabi-Sairang line. The project is strategically important to connect Northeast India with the Kaladan Multi-modal Transport Project under construction in Myanmar under Act East Regulations.

As part of the Railways policy of 100 percent electrification, all the upcoming routes in Mizoram will also be electrified.

After completion of all new line projects and infrastructure development works, connectivity to and from Mizoram will get a big boost. International connectivity between India and Myanmar will also gather new momentum.