Aizawl, Nov 29 (NationPress) The Governor of Mizoram, Gen Vijay Kumar Singh (retd), announced on Saturday that the newly constructed Sairang railway line in the state is set to be connected with the ambitious Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) in Myanmar. A representative from the Raj Bhavan shared that the Governor, during a meeting with a media delegation, expressed optimism about the seamless completion of the railway stretch between Sairang, located near Aizawl, and the Kaladan project.

Emphasizing ongoing developmental efforts in Mizoram, Gen Singh (retd) referred to the newly inaugurated 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway line as a transformative milestone for the state.

The Bairabi-Sairang segment, measuring 51.38 kilometers, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Aizawl on September 13.

A senior official from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) highlighted that the project features remarkable engineering, including 45 tunnels, 143 bridges (one surpassing the height of Delhi's Qutub Minar), and four new stations at Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang.

This new rail link marks a historic achievement for the Northeast, providing rail connectivity to the capital of Mizoram for the first time and effectively integrating the state into India's railway network.

"Despite the extremely challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions, the Northeast Frontier Railway (Construction) team successfully completed this complex project, which is expected to enhance trade, tourism, and socio-economic development across Mizoram and the broader Northeast," said the NFR official.

Currently, four northeastern state capitals—Dispur (near Guwahati) in Assam, Agartala in Tripura, Naharlagun (near Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh), and Sairang (near Aizawl, Mizoram)—are connected by rail.

Efforts are ongoing to connect Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, to the national rail network.

The NFR plans to establish a railway link to the Myanmar border via Manipur and Mizoram. The official mentioned that the final location survey for the 111 km Imphal-Moreh section (along the Myanmar border) is already underway for the construction of a new broad gauge line. Additionally, a broad gauge line will be developed from Sairang to Hmawngbuchhuah in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district, near the Myanmar border.

The previously proposed 223-km Sairang-Hmawngbuchhuah railway project had been deemed economically unfeasible, prompting the Mizoram government and local parliament members to advocate for its revival through a series of meetings with NFR officials in Guwahati and Delhi.

The NFR official noted that while the proposed railway line from Sairang to Hmawngbuchhuah is considered "economically unfeasible," the project will be revived due to its strategic importance in connecting Northeast India with the Kaladan project in Myanmar, in line with the Act East Policy. A preliminary survey estimates the cost of the proposed 223-km railway project at Rs 15,000 crore.

"The final survey for the project is facing delays due to the ongoing internal situation in Myanmar, which is currently under military governance," added the NFR official.