Is PM Modi Set to Inaugurate the New Railway Line to Aizawl, the 4th NE Capital?

Aizawl, June 22 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to inaugurate the newly constructed railway line linking Mizoram’s Aizawl, marking it as the fourth capital city in the northeast region to gain railway connectivity, according to officials on Sunday.

A senior official from the Mizoram government stated that while final confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is pending, it is believed that PM Modi will unveil the 51.38 km long Bairabi-Sairang railway project in July.

He mentioned that the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Sumeet Singhal, authorized the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to commence operations for both goods and passenger trains after inspecting the newly established tracks between June 6 and June 10. The Bairabi-Sairang railway project is segmented into four parts: Bairabi-Hortoki (16.72 km, commissioned in July 2024), Hortoki-Kawnpui (9.71 km), Kawnpui-Mualkhang (12.11 km), and Mualkhang-Sairang (12.84 km).

An NFR official stated that this significant achievement finalizes the entire 51.38 km railway line project from Bairabi, adjacent to Assam’s Hailakandi district, to Sairang, near Aizawl city, providing direct railway access to the state capital for the first time. The last 33.864 km segment from Hortoki to Sairang was meticulously examined by the CRS, which subsequently approved the BG line from Hortoki to Sairang for public transport of goods and passengers at a maximum speed of 90 km/h, as confirmed by the NFR official.

According to the official, with the completion of this final segment, Mizoram is now fully connected to the national railway network.

This groundbreaking advancement is poised to greatly improve passenger and freight transport, foster socio-economic development, and fulfill a long-cherished dream of the people of Mizoram to witness trains arriving in the heart of their capital, the official remarked.

Despite challenging geographical conditions, the NFR has conducted remarkable work. The official noted that the Bairabi-Sairang railway project is a testament to the engineering prowess of Indian Railways. This project, located in mountainous terrain, includes 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges, and 87 minor bridges. The total length of tunnels in this project spans 12,853 meters, with bridge number 196 reaching a height of 104 meters, which is 42 meters taller than the Qutub Minar.

The project also encompasses five Road Over Bridges and six Road Under Bridges. Upon the inauguration of the Bairabi-Sairang railway line, Aizawl will become the fourth northeastern state capital to be connected to the national railway network, following Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.