Mizoram Set for Rail Debut with Bairabi–Sairang Line
05 Sep 2025 CW Team
Mizoram is set to join the national railway network for the first time, with the imminent completion of the Bairabi–Sairang railway line, a transformative 51.38-kilometre infrastructure project aimed at enhancing connectivity in India’s northeast. The new line will connect Aizawl, the state capital, directly to the Indian Railways map.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the line on 13 September in Aizawl. Once operational, it will reduce the Guwahati–Aizawl journey from 14–18 hours by road to approximately 12 hours by train, significantly easing travel for residents and boosting regional integration.
The Bairabi–Sairang section has been constructed through some of the country’s most challenging terrain, requiring 48 tunnels with a combined length of over 12 kilometres, and 142 bridges, including major and minor spans.
A standout engineering feat is Bridge No. 196, rising 104 metres high, making it taller than Delhi’s Qutub Minar and the second-highest pier bridge in the Indian Railways network.
The project also features six road underpasses and five overbridges, aimed at ensuring uninterrupted road traffic flow. As of the latest update, 95 per cent of physical work has been completed, and 97 per cent of the allocated funds have been utilised.
The Northeast Frontier Railway conducted a successful trial run in May 2025, followed by safety inspections in June, signalling that the line is nearly ready for public use.
Once commissioned, this project will not only strengthen strategic and economic connectivity in the border state but also stimulate growth in trade, tourism, healthcare, education, and employment. With this, Mizoram will become the fourth northeastern state to be connected to the Indian Railways network.