Aizawl
Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, is set to become the fourth capital city in Northeast India to be connected by railway within the next nine months, Top officials said on Sunday. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is currently laying a 51.38 km Broad Gauge track from Bhairabi, near Assam’s Hailakandi District, to Sairang, with an expected completion date of July next year.
NFR General Manager Arun Kumar Chaudhary informed Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma that the ₹8,213.72 crore Bairabi-Sairang railway project is in its advanced stages. This project is anticipated to enhance communication and commerce in the region. Currently, Guwahati (Assam), Agartala (Tripura), and Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh) are already connected to the railway network.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, stated that over 93% of the physical work on the project has been completed. The route will feature four stations: Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang. The Bhairabi-Hortoki section, which is 17.38 km long, was completed and commissioned in July, with train services operational since August.
The project faces several challenges, including difficult terrain, limited working seasons due to heavy monsoons, and a lack of construction materials and skilled labor in Mizoram. Despite these obstacles, the NFR is committed to completing the project, which has been classified as a ‘National Project’ by the Union government. Notably, this railway line was approved in 2008-2009 at an initial cost of ₹2,384.34 crore, and work began in 2015.
