New rly line puts Mizoram on track for big development
The engineering feat comprises 55 major and 87 minor bridges, as well as 48 tunnels, spanning a distance of 12.8 km.
114-meter tall Kurung bridge constructed near Sairang
AIZAWL: Exploring Mizoram via train is set to become a reality as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to inaugurate the 51.38-kilometre Bairabi-Sairang broad gauge line on September 13. The Rs 8,071 crore project will finally and formally add Mizoram to the national rail map.
The engineering feat comprises 55 major and 87 minor bridges, as well as 48 tunnels, spanning a distance of 12.8 km. The most unique feature is the 114-metre-tall Bridge no. 144, which is 42 metres taller than Delhi’s Qutub Minar.
V Ratnamala, a Mizoram University faculty member who hails from Tirunelveli, said, “We take a train from Chennai to Kolkata, then to Silchar (in Assam), followed by a costly 170-km road journey to Aizawl. This new line to Sairang will drastically reduce both time and expense.” Even now, all major goods brought into Aizawl have been transported via road from Silchar. The railways had to lay a 200 km road network on tricky terrain to bring in equipment and materials to facilitate the track construction..
Decades in the making
With a passenger train operated from Mizoram’s Bairabi to Assam’s Silchar since 2016, the state’s rail network has been limited to Bairabi (only 5 km from the Assam) since 2008. Bairabi-Sairang received the green signal in 2008-09, but works began only after Modi laid the foundation stone in November 2014.
Economy, tourism, accessibility
The connection is expected to improve the transportation of goods and agricultural produce, stimulate commercial activities, and enhance access to education, healthcare, and other social services. Tourism is poised to receive a major boost, making destinations like Reiek Tlang and Vantawng Falls more accessible.
Overcoming significant hurdles
The project had its share of difficulties. “The construction of this bridge was completed after facing various obstacles like manpower shortages, cultural barriers, bad weather conditions, and the difficulty of transporting materials to this area,” said Nilanjan Deb, PRO of the Northeast Frontier Railway.
With this new line, which includes stations at Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang, Mizoram becomes the 4th northeastern state to have its capital city linked to the national railway network.
