Mizoram is all set to script history as it finally finds a place on India’s railway map. The much-awaited Bairabi–Sairang railway line, a 51.38-kilometre-long engineering marvel, is ready for launch after nearly a decade of construction.
The project was successfully completed by North East Frontier Railway (NEFR) and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 13.
The new line winding up at Sairang, about 20 km from Aizawl, would connect the state capital with other northeastern states as well as the rest of the country. While there have been road and air connectivity to Mizoram so far, the new line has opened up another mode of transport.
Once operational, it will reduce travel time between Aizawl and Silchar (Assam border) from nearly seven hours by road to just three hours by train.
According to a report by The Times of India, the project was executed under some of the toughest geographical conditions in the Northeast and stands as a testament to modern engineering excellence by the engineers of NEFR. Its alignment traverses the hilly terrain of Kolasib and Aizawl districts, passing through dense forests, steep slopes, deep gorges, and numerous rivers.
Vinod Kumar, principal chief engineer of NEFR, was quoted by the TOI as saying that the new line is divided into three parts: the first one is the tunnel, the second is the bridges, and the third is the cutting of hill edges.
Moreover, they had only five months of workable condition in the year from November to March because the site experienced heavy rainfall for the other seven months. "Despite these challenges, we completed the project in 11 years," he was quoted by TOI as saying.
He added that materials, such as sand, jalli stones, and steel, for the project were not available locally and were imported from Assam, West Bengal, and Jharkhand. The major challenge was labourers; most of them stayed at the site during storms and winters.
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