After over two decades in the making, Mizoram’s capital Aizawl has finally been connected to India’s railway network with the completion of the Bairabi–Sairang line. The 51.38-km route, first envisioned in September 1999, was officially commissioned in June this year and will soon be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This vital link faced multiple challenges, including dense forests, treacherous terrain, limited construction seasons, and frequent landslides. The project’s early phase in 1999 revealed that a standard preliminary survey was not feasible due to poor visibility and accessibility. A reconnaissance engineering-cum-traffic survey was approved in 2003, and Northeast Frontier Railway carried it out in 2006. RITES later conducted a pre-construction and geotechnical investigation, submitting its final report in 2011.

Recognised as a "National Project" in 2008–09, the initiative received a fresh push when the foundation stone was laid by PM Modi in November 2014. Land acquisition concluded by 2015, followed by full-scale construction.

The engineering feat includes 48 tunnels totalling 12.85 km, 55 major and 87 minor bridges, five road overbridges, and nine road underbridges. Among these, Bridge No. 196 stands at 104 metres tall—42 metres higher than the Qutub Minar.

The completion of the Bairabi–Sairang railway marks a historic milestone for Mizoram’s connectivity and development, providing a critical rail link between the northeastern state and the rest of India.