Mizoram’s First Railway Line: Bairabi-Sairang Inaugurated
Why in the news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bairabi-Sairang railway on 13 September, finally linking Mizoram to the national rail network.
Key facts
- The line runs 51.38 km from Bairabi, on the Assam-Mizoram border, to Sairang, about 20 km from Aizawl.
- Cost: roughly Rs 8,070 crore; sanctioned in 2008-09; work started in 2015.
- It is a broad-gauge line in the Northeast Frontier Railway zone, currently a single diesel line with electrification in progress.
- PM Modi also announced projects worth over Rs 9,000 crore, including a 45 km Aizawl Bypass Road.
| Train | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Sairang-Delhi Rajdhani Express | Weekly |
| Sairang-Guwahati Express | Daily |
| Sairang-Kolkata Express | Thrice a week |
About the line and trains
The route is difficult hill terrain, so about 54% of the alignment is on tunnels and bridges. Three long-distance services were launched along with the line, as shown below.
Exam angle
- Static fact: Mizoram’s first railway line connects Bairabi to Sairang.
- Numbers asked often: 51.38 km, 45 tunnels and Rs 8,070 crore.
- Note the Northeast rail link theme and the three trains for railway papers.