Guwahati/Aizawl, June 10: The Commissioner of Railway Safety’s (CRS) authorisation of the newly constructed Broad Gauge (BG) line from Hortoki to Sairang would soon link Mizoram's Aizawl, making it the fourth capital city in the northeast region to be connected by a railway network, officials said on Tuesday.

An official said that such a railway project linking a state capital is normally inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

With the successful commissioning and CRS authorisation of the newly constructed Hortoki to Sairang railway line, the formal inauguration of the new line can take place any time after June 17, the official said.

The Bairabi–Sairang new railway project has been divided into four sections -- Bairabi-Hortoki (16.72 km, commissioned in July 2024), Hortoki–Kawnpui (9.71 km), Kawnpui–Mualkhang (12.11 km), and Mualkhang–Sairang (12.84 km).

A senior official of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said that this milestone completes the entire 51.38 km new railway line project from Bairabi, near Assam’s Hailakandi district, to Sairang, near Aizawl city, bringing direct rail connectivity to the Mizoram state capital for the first time.

The final 33.864 km stretch from Hortoki to Sairang was thoroughly inspected by Northeast Frontier Circle CRS Sumeet Singhal between June 6 and June 10.

According to the official, with the completion of the final leg, Mizoram is now fully integrated into the national railway network.

This transformative achievement is expected to significantly enhance passenger and freight movement, stimulate socio-economic growth, and fulfil a long-standing aspiration of the people of Mizoram to see trains arriving in the heart of their capital, the official said.

He said that the CRS inspection was conducted via motor trolley and on foot, followed by a speed trial using an inspection specially hauled by a diesel locomotive.

Despite the tough terrain, commendable work has been carried out by the NFR.

Following the inspection, the CRS has authorised the opening of the BG line from Hortoki to Sairang for public carriage of goods and passengers at a maximum permissible speed of 90 kmph on the main line. The official said that the Bairabi–Sairang new line railway project is an engineering marvel of the Indian Railways. The project, which lies in mountainous terrain, consists of 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges, and 87 minor bridges. The total length of tunnels in this project is 12,853 meters. The height of bridge number 196 is 104 metres, which is 42 metres taller than the Qutub Minar. The project also includes five Road Over Bridges and 6 Road Under Bridges.

This CRS authorisation marks a major milestone towards the integration of Mizoram’s capital into the national railway grid and demonstrates Indian Railways’ commitment to developing infrastructure in remote and strategically important regions, the official said.

With the successful completion of the inspection by the CRS, Mizoram capital Aizawl would soon become the fourth NE state capital to be linked to the country’s railway network after Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

--IANS

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