AIZAWL: Aizawl, the capital city of Mizoram in the Northeast, is set to join the regional railway network by July next year, paving the way for enhanced connectivity in the region.
This initiative marks the fourth capital city in the Northeast to gain railway connectivity, a development announced by officials at the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Monday (July 22).
Currently, the railway network in the Northeast region encompass Guwahati in Assam, Agartala, the capital of Tripura, and Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh.
NFR officials disclosed that a new Broad Gauge line is being laid in the Bairabi (near Assam’s Hailakandi district) – Sairang (52 km) section in Mizoram’s Aizawl district.
The Rs 8213.72 crore Bairabi-Sairang railway project is anticipated to be commissioned by July 2025, with 93 percent of the physical works already completed.
The 52-km new line between Bairabi and Sairang is divided into sections encompassing Bairabi–Hortoki, Hortoki–Kawnpui, Kawnpui–Mualkhang, and Mualkhang–Sairang.
A recent briefing by an NFR team to Mizoram governor Hari Babu Kambhampati highlighted the project’s progress.
Termed as a “National Project” of significance, the Bairabi-Sairang railway project is poised to serve as an asset for Mizoram and an economic boon for the entire nation upon realization.
Commencing in 2015, the project aims to counter various challenges such as complex terrain, monsoons and resource constraints.
The completion of the railway project is expected to bolster connectivity, facilitate industrial growth, and boost tourism in Mizoram.