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AIZAWL — Mizoram’s Aizawl would be the fourth capital city in the northeast region to come under railway connectivity by July next year as the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is laying the new Broad Gauge (BG) track up to Sairang, near Aizawl, officials said on Monday.
Assam’s main city of Guwahati (adjoining capital Dispur), Tripura capital Agartala, and Arunachal Pradesh's Naharlagun (adjacent to capital city Itanagar) are already connected with the railway network.
NFR officials said that the new Broad Gauge line is being laid in the Bairabi (near Assam's Hailakandi District) - Sairang (52 km) section in Mizoram's Aizawl District.
“The INR 8,213.72 crore Bairabi-Sairang railway project would be commissioned in July 2025,” a senior NFR official told IANS.
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He said that 93 per cent of the physical works of the railway project were completed at this point. There are four stations: Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang.
The 52 km new line between Bairabi and Sairang is divided into four sections -- Bairabi–Hortoki, Hortoki–Kawnpui, Kawnpui–Mualkhang, and Mualkhang–Sairang.
An NFR team led by its Chief Engineer (Construction) Vinod Kumar apprised Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati about the progress of the under-construction railway project.
The Governor said that after completion of the railway project, it would ensure substantial cost cutting on transportation of passengers and commodities in addition to reducing the travel time between Aizawl and neighbouring Assam, at least by three to four hours.
A senior Mizoram government official said that the Bairabi-Sairang railway project being a 'National Project' of importance, once completed, would not just be an asset for Mizoram but would be an economic asset for the nation.
He said that the new railway line from Bairabi to Sairang was approved by the Union government in 2008-2009 at an initial cost of INR 2,384.34 crore as a national project.
Work on the project commenced in 2015 and the revised timeline for its completion is November 2023.
Chief Public Relations Officer of the NFR, Sabyasachi De, said that construction of the Bhairabi-Sairang railway project involves multiple tunnels and bridges in tough terrains.
The total length of tunnels in this project is 12,853 meters out of which 12,807 meters of tunneling works has already been completed.
The project will have a total 55 major bridges and 89 minor bridges, out of which work for 47 major bridges and 87 minor bridges has been completed so far.
The CPRO said that though there are many challenges in execution of this project like very less working season due to very heavy and prolonged monsoons, very tough and hilly terrain through deep forests, poor accessibility, non-availability of construction materials and skilled labour in Mizoram the NFR is making all efforts for fulfilling its commitment of earliest commissioning of the project.
The new rail project will provide enhanced connectivity to the people of Mizoram, help grow small scale industries in the area and boost tourism of the state.
This project will ensure substantial cost reduction on transportation of passengers and various materials and commodities to this mountainous state to cater to the needs of the local population, De said.
He said that travel time between the capital of Mizoram and nearby places of Assam would reduce significantly.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)