Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday lauded the massive engineering effort that went into building Mizoram’s first railway line, the Bairabi-Sairang project, ahead of its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
Calling it a “crucial initiative” that will finally connect Mizoram to India’s rail network, Vaishnaw said engineers had to overcome extreme geological challenges, including loose sand and difficult Himalayan terrain.
“This project has been constructed under great challenges. The terrain and geology are very complex. We had to first solidify the sand into rock-like formations before tunnelling. A new tunnelling method was developed for this,” he said. The project features 45 tunnels stretching 51 km and 45 bridges, one taller than Delhi’s Qutub Minar.
Freight operations will begin immediately, with three passenger services launching Sunday: the Sairang-Delhi Rajdhani Express, the Sairang-Guwahati Express (daily), and the Sairang-Kolkata Express (tri-weekly).
Built at a cost of over ₹8,070 crore, the 51-km rail line will connect Sairang, near Mizoram’s capital Aizawl, to the Indian Railways network for the first time. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the project will improve connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and ensure reliable supplies of essentials to the state.
During his visit, PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for key road projects, including the Aizawl Bypass Road, Thenzawl-Sialsuk Road, and Khankawn-Rongura Road. His five-state tour from September 13–15 covers Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar, where he will inaugurate and launch projects worth ₹71,850 crore.