Engineering marvel: Mizoram’s Bairabi–Sairang rail line can transform the North Eastern state’s connectivity

Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw today hailed the construction of the Bairabi-Sairang railway line, which will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi tomorrow, thereby connecting Mizoram's Aizawl to New Delhi.

"It is a proud moment for us that this railway line is finally finished. It was a very difficult work, and the construction was complicated, with a network of bridges and tunnels, but it is over and PM Modi will inaugurate this tomorrow," Vaishnaw said today.

The railway project has been hailed by experts as an engineering marvel and which promises to transform mobility and connectivity in Mizoram. The new line, which stretches for over 51 kms and which was built at an estimated cost of ₹8,071 crore, features 48 tunnels and 55 major bridges. Some of the tunnels run for over a kilometre, while bridges such as Krung rise as high as 114 metres above the ground.

Vaishnaw said that the terrain, comprising of hills and valleys, made the construction particularly challenging, and required both determination on part of the government but also technical expertise.

The project has been in the works for decades. It was actually first conceived in 1999, but received a fillip only in 2014 when Prime Minister Modi virtually laid its foundation stone. Two years later, in 2016, he flagged off the first passenger train between Bairabi and Silchar, with the first freight train arriving at Bairabi later that year. Over the past week, the NF Railway has conducted trial runs on the new line, with journalists from across the country invited to witness the achievement.

Sairang, now poised to become a vital node in India’s rail map, particularly for the North East region, has a rich history. After the British invasion of Mizoram in the early 1870s, it were the Bengali traders who set up a base here, establishing a popular market. Then came the European missionaries in 1894.

In the 1890s, the 140-km journey from Sairang to Silchar in Assam, in flat-bottomed boats, could take anywhere from 15 to 30 days, depending on water levels in the Tlawng river. In 1942, Mizoram’s first vehicle was brought in dismantled parts by boat from Assam’s Cachar district to Sairang, where it was reassembled before being driven to Aizawl.

From then to today, it may not be an understatement that Mizoram has come a long way. Now with this new railway line, it can finally be linked seamlessly to mainland India.