Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, September 13, inaugaurated the first railway line of Mizoram- the Bairabi-Sairang braod gauge project. This becomes the historic moment for the state. This will boost connectivity in state.
It has been built at the cost of Rs 8, 070 crore,. The length of the railway line is 51.38 km. The project, which was approved in 2008-09 and began construction in 2015, is now fully complete. The rail route consists of 45 tunnels, 55 major bridges, 87 minor bridges and 10 road over and underpasses. About 54% of the entire track is either bridged or tunnelled.
One of the most striking structures of the project is Bridge No. 144, located near Sairang. Its height is 114 metres, which is higher than the Qutub Minar in Delhi. According to the Northeast Frontier Railway, it is the tallest pier railway bridge in India.
Four new railway stations have also been set up to connect the communities along the route — Hortoki, Koumpui, Mualkhang and Sairang.
Why Aizawl’s first rail service is a big change?
This new rail route stretches from Bairabi on the border of Assam and Mizoram to Sairang, which is only 20 km from Mizoram’s capital, Aizawl. This means that for the first time, Aizawl now has a direct connection to India’s national railway network.
With this historic development, Aizawl becomes the fourth capital of the Northeast to get direct rail connectivity, after Guwahati, Agartala, and Itanagar.
