By Aafaque Hussain
Mizoram, with its rolling blue hills, dense forests and vibrant biodiversity, has finally embraced railways to reach its capital Aizawl, the scenic and vibrant capital of the North Eastern state, with the completion of the Bairabi-Sairang Railway line. With this feat, the land of the Mizos has become the fourth North Eastern state to connect its capital city to the railway network of the country.
The much-awaited and iconic Bairabi-Sairang railway line, an impressive engineering marvel, was dedicated to the people by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in a glittering function in Aizawl on Saturday.
With this project becoming a reality, the progressive but landlocked Mizoram has got a major boost to its connectivity, as this scenic railway line that passes through deep gorges, thick forests and inhabited areas will greatly improve the connectivity woes of Mizoram.
The landmark project, constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 crore, is set to provide an alternative mode of transportation to people besides reducing the transportation cost of goods to Aizawl and even open new avenues of trade and tourism in the state.
Like Meghalaya, which has opposed railways till now sans Inner Line Permit, there were apprehensions about influx in Mizoram too with the idea of taking railways till Aizawl but the concerns were addressed with the State Government deciding to enforce ILP in all the four stations on this railway line.
A local youth who identified himself as Mesak, and works in the famous Aizawl Peak Restaurant, while sharing his views on the railway, said that railways would bring large-scale benefits for the highlanders of Mizoram.
“The railway would ease communication and transportation besides bringing business and tourism for us,” he said.
With the completion of this line, residents of Mizoram can travel to Aizawl from Bairabi in around 2 hours, whereas a drive on the road from Bairabi to the capital of Aizawl takes around 4–5 hours.
Dr. C. Daniala from Mizoram, who has been working as a senior doctor in NEIGRIHMS for decades, too said that there are pros and cons with the idea of bringing railways to Mizoram.
Admitting that there will be some sort of influx with the arrival of trains, he stressed the need to tighten the mechanism of ILP to tackle any such challenge.
Pointing out that development will be fast-tracked in the hilly state now, he stated that he has not seen any media coverage where locals are excited about railways but all the rumours are about preventing influx.
As the railway line is now completed, the (North East Frontier) NFR will immediately connect Sairang with three trains to Kolkata, Guwahati and New Delhi through Rajdhani and other trains. These trains will run weekly in the initial phases and, depending on the response, the frequency of the trains will be increased.
The railway project, apart from addressing the connectivity woes of the people, has also been lauded for its remarkable engineering precision and Indian Railways have shown its engineering prowess in executing this difficult project in a challenging terrain like Mizoram.
The project has 48 tunnels with a total tunnel length of 12,853 metres, 55 major bridges, 87 minor bridges, 5 road overbridges, 6 road underbridges, and one of the most notable structures along the line is Bridge Number 196 with a height of 114 metres, which is 42 metres taller than Qutub Minar.
The NFR has also promoted the local culture of Mizoram, as the railway tunnels on the route have been adorned with striking murals that transform these functional structures into powerful narratives, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and identity of the Mizo people.
Public Relations Officer of North East Frontier (NFR), Nilanjan Deb, while giving insights about this landmark railway project, said that the project was a challenge in itself due to its remoteness and difficult terrain.
The official recalled that things took a positive turn when vendors of the NFR started hiring local unskilled manpower for the construction of the railway line.
“They got a livelihood and the word spread from village to village about the economic activities which the railway line is bringing. Many villagers who had no jobs started earning Rs 500–700 a day by working on the project and this led to a positive change for the railways,” he said.
Explaining the challenge of constructing such an engineering marvel, he said that the NFR built around 200 kilometers of road first to bring machinery, manpower and equipment in inhabited areas to build the railway line, and after years of hard work, the trains are running on those tracks.
My take:
This scribe, along with other journalists from the North East, experienced a train ride on the new Bairabi–Sairang railway line in a Vistadome Coach, a true engineering marvel built through inaccessible terrain.
The new line will make Aizawl more accessible, allowing tourists to travel from Guwahati in just a few hours at far cheaper rates than flights. While passenger trains will soon run, locals are keen on faster and cheaper transport of essential goods from Silchar through goods trains.
Unlike Meghalaya, which still resists railways without ILP, Mizoram has embraced the project while strictly enforcing ILP at stations. Though inaugurated, finishing works like lighting and minor station development are still underway.
