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Residents of Mizoram, particularly its capital Aizawl, hope that the 51.38 km Bairabi-Sairang (near Aizawl) new Railway line will bring seamless changes to their lives by providing affordable and faster travel options, even as they expect quicker delivery of goods and services.
Land-locked Mizoram shares borders with Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, and international boundaries with Bangladesh and Myanmar. At present, all essential supplies and passenger transportation needs are met by road transport, mainly from Assam. Lengpui Airport, located 32 km from Aizawl, provides direct connectivity to Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Imphal, and Shillong.
With supplies coming largely from Silchar in Assam, 172 km away, goods vehicles currently take about 10 hours and passenger vehicles about eight hours to traverse the hilly terrain. Air travel, while faster, remains unaffordable for many, with fares ranging from ₹1,500 to ₹10,000 depending on the destination.
Malsawmtluangi, who runs Hnam Chhan Handloom Showroom in Upper Republic, Aizawl, told The Hindu, that she, like many others in the State, was optimistic about the prospects the new line would bring. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), headquartered in Guwahati, has constructed the line under its Lumding Division. Ms. Malsawmtluangi said on Monday, September 1, that she was happy the new line connected Mizoram with the rest of the country and hoped it would bring in many changes.
Malsawmtluangi (right), who runs Hnam Chhan Handloom Showroom in Upper Republic, Aizawl, said was happy that the new line connects her state with the rest of the Nation and could bring in many changes on Monday, September 1, in Aizawl. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Faster travel
A taxi driver, whose name ends with Hruiya, said it was tedious to travel from Silchar to Aizawl by road as the journey consumed an entire day. Train services, both passenger and freight, could provide the much-needed respite in connectivity by offering affordable fares and tariffs, he said. While the road distance between the two places is 172 km, the rail distance is 154 km, with travel time expected to be under four hours, he added.
Three stations
One of the major bridges on the 51.38 km Bairabi-Sairang new line constructed by Northeast Frontier Railway in Mizoram. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Mualkhang is one of the intermediary stations, 38.2 km from Bairabi and 13.18 km from Sairang on the Bairabi-Sairang 51.38 km new line built by Northeast Frontier Railway and under its Lumding Division in Mizoram. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Hortoki is one of the intermediary stations, 16.38 km from Bairabi and 35 km from Sairang on the Bairabi-Sairang 51.38 km new line built by Northeast Frontier Railway and under its Lumding Division in Mizoram. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Tunnel linings along the 51.38 km Bairabi-Sairang new line constructed by Northeast Frontier Railway are adorned with striking murals celebrating the rich cultural heritage and identity of Mizo people in Mizoram. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
The Bairabi–Sairang line has three intermediate stations - Hortoki, Kawnpui, and Mualkhang - with surrounding regions set to benefit, said a senior NFR official. Terminal and coach maintenance facilities have been provided at both Bairabi and Sairang, he added. Sairang is 22.6 km from Aizawl.
(The reporter was on a field visit organised by the Indian Railways to Mizoram to get a first-hand experience of the Sairang-Bairabi Line from August 30 to September 1.)
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