Mizoram’s Bairabi-Sairang railway line marks one year with 15 lakh passengers, 2,500 wagons

Guwahati: One year after the first train rolled into Sairang, Mizoram’s 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway line has emerged as a major new link for passenger travel, freight movement and tourism, bringing the national rail network to the doorstep of the state capital.

Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 13, 2025, the railway line has already handled more than 15 lakh passengers and over 2,500 wagons of freight, according to the Ministry of Railways.

The scale of passenger demand has been particularly striking. More than 1,100 train trips have been operated on services connecting Sairang with Guwahati, Kolkata and New Delhi, besides the Sairang-Silchar passenger service introduced in January this year.

The three long-distance services have consistently operated at more than 100% capacity. The Sairang-Kolkata service has recorded average occupancy of over 140%, while the daily Sairang-Guwahati service has remained above 110%. The Sairang-Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express has recorded average occupancy of more than 145%.

The railway has generated around Rs 54 crore in ticket revenue during the year.

Sairang station itself has handled more than 5.54 lakh passenger movements, averaging about 3,300 passengers a day, underlining the station’s rapid emergence as a key transport gateway for Mizoram.

From cement to cars, rail freight reaches Aizawl

The railway’s impact has extended well beyond passenger travel.

The first freight train reached Sairang on September 14, 2025—just a day after the line was inaugurated—carrying more than 26,000 bags of cement from Tetelia near Guwahati. The arrival helped demonstrate the potential of rail transport to reduce logistics costs and improve the supply of essential construction materials to Mizoram.

In December 2025, the first automobile consignment reached Sairang, carrying 119 Maruti cars from Changsari near Guwahati.

Over the past year, more than 2,500 wagons of freight have been delivered to Sairang. Around 70% comprised construction materials such as cement, stone and sand, while other consignments included rice, fertilisers and automobiles. As many as 156 wagons carrying automobiles were handled during the period.

The shift of bulk commodities from long road journeys to rail has given businesses and consumers a new logistics option while supporting construction, agriculture and public distribution in the state.

A railway built through some of Mizoram’s toughest terrain

The Bairabi-Sairang line is also notable for the engineering challenges involved in taking the railway through Mizoram’s steep hills, valleys and gorges.

The corridor includes 153 bridges, including 55 major bridges and 88 minor bridges, along with 10 road overbridges and underbridges. Six bridges rise more than 70 metres, with the tallest reaching 114 metres—about 42 metres higher than Delhi’s Qutub Minar.

The line also passes through 45 tunnels stretching nearly 16 km and connects Bairabi with four new stations—Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and Sairang.

Railway opens a new door for tourism and local business

The new connectivity has also made Mizoram more accessible to visitors travelling from major cities. The Ministry said tourism in the state has grown by more than 86% since the introduction of railway connectivity.

The increase in visitors is expected to benefit hotels, homestays, restaurants, taxis, guides, local markets and cultural enterprises, while making it easier for Mizoram to host educational, sporting and cultural events involving participants from outside the state.

For students, direct rail connectivity has also provided a more practical route to universities, professional institutions, examinations and academic events elsewhere in the country.

The railway is simultaneously creating opportunities for local producers to reach distant markets. On September 19, 2025, the first parcel consignment from Sairang carried Anthurium flowers to Delhi aboard the Sairang-Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express.

The consignment highlighted the potential of rail-based parcel services to connect Mizoram’s flowers, handloom products, bamboo and cane crafts and other local goods with consumers beyond the state.

A year after the line’s inauguration, the Bairabi-Sairang corridor is thus evolving from a connectivity project into a wider economic link—bringing passengers closer to major cities, moving essential goods and construction material into Mizoram, opening new tourism routes and giving local products access to national markets.

For a state long constrained by difficult terrain and dependence on road transport, the railway has effectively shortened distances and created another route to opportunity.