Guwahati: The Bhairabi-Sairang railway line project to connect Aizawl – the capital of Mizoram – to the rest of the country is at an advanced stage of completion.
The 51.38-kilometre-long new railway line between Bhairabi and Sairang is divided into four sections – Bhairabi-Hortoki, Hortoki-Kawnpui, Kawnpui-Mualkhang and Mualkhang-Sairang.
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The 17.38-km Bhairabi-Hortoki section, which has already been completed, was commissioned in July 2024 with train services operational since August this year.
The whole project, once completed, will be a game-changer in terms of communication and commerce for the people of Mizoram.
The economical and environment-friendly railway services will have a positive impact on almost all developmental works in the state.
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Construction of the Bhairabi-Sairang railway line project involves as many as 48 tunnels in tough terrains.
The total length of tunnels in the project is 12,853 metres, out of which, 12,807 metres of tunnelling works have already been completed.
It will have a total of 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges.
Works for construction of the tallest pier of the project – pier P-4 of bridge number 196 in the approach of Sairang railway station has also been completed.
Height of this pier is 104-metres, which is 42-metres taller than the Qutub Minar in New Delhi.
The project also includes five road over bridges and six road under bridges.
There will be four railway stations in this project – Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and Sairang.
Though there are many challenges in execution of this project, including less working season due to very heavy and prolonged monsoons, very tough and hilly terrains through deep forests, poor accessibility, and non-availability of construction materials and skilled labour in Mizoram, among others, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has been making all efforts for fulfilling its commitment towards early completion of the project.
The new railway line project will provide enhanced connectivity to the people of Mizoram, help grow small-scale industries and boost tourism of the state.
This project will ensure substantial cost reduction on transportation of passengers and various materials and commodities to Mizoram to cater to the needs of the local population.
On the other hand, travel time between the capital of Mizoram and nearby places of Assam will also reduce significantly.
Moreover, people of the region will get long-distance access across the country and uninterrupted supply of essential goods.