Context

A new Broad Gauge railway line is currently under construction from Bairabi of Assam’s Hailakandi district to Sairang of Mizoram’s Aizawl district covering 52 km.

About

About Bairabi-Sairang railway project:

• The upcoming railway network in Aizawl as the NFR (National Frontier Railway) is laying BG (Broad Gauge) track up to Sairang town of Mizoram which is about 20 kilometres from Aizawl.
• The BG railway line from Bairabi to Sairang was approved by the central Government in 2008-2009 at an initial cost of Rs 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.
• About 70 per cent work of the project has been completed so far.
• With 55 major bridges, 87 small bridges and 32 tunnels (total length of the tunnels is about 12.63 km) with the longest tunnel about 1.88 km in length.
• Bairabi-Sairang railway line would have four stations -- Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkang and the terminal station at Sairang.
• It may be mentioned that the other three state capitals in the northeast to have rail connectivity are Agartala (Tripura), Guwahati (Assam) and Naharlugam (Arunachal Pradesh).