On 13th September 2025, the inauguration of the 51.38 km Bairabi-Sairang railway line and the Sairang Railway station by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, opened a new chapter of progress and development for Mizoram. Within just one year, the railway line has brought about transformative development in this remote hill state, and has transformed from just a line on the railway map into a gateway towards improved mobility, greater access to markets, enhanced tourism and new opportunities.
The Milestone: When the Rails Reached the Hills
For generations, Mizoram’s difficult terrain made long-distance movement heavily dependent on roads, making travel very time consuming, uncomfortable and unrealiable. The commissioning of the Bairabi-Sairang new railway line completely changed the scenario.
The Bairabi Sairang railway line is an engineering marvel, traversing the steep hills, deep valleys and gorges of Mizoram. The project comprises 153 bridges, including 55 major bridges, 88 minor bridges and 10 Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges. As many as six bridges exceed 70 meters in height, with the tallest rising up to 114 meters, which is 42 metres taller than Delhi’s Qutub Minar. The alignment also passes through 45 tunnels stretching over almost 16 kilometres. The rail corridor connects the national railway network onwards from Bairabi with the four newly developed stations of Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and finally the Sairang railway station, thereby completing rail connectivity to the very threshold of Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.
The inauguration of the Bairabi Sairang Railway Line fulfilled a long cherished dream of the people of Mizoram, and brought reliable railway passenger and freight services close to the State’s largest centre of population, administration, education and commerce.
Passenger Mobility: The Numbers tell a story of trust
Three important long distance train services now connect the capital of Mizoram with the cities of Guwahati, Kolkata and Delhi. The Sairang – Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express gave Mizoram its first direct premium railway connection with the national capital, while the Guwahati and Kolkata services created dependable links with major educational, commercial and medical centres across the eastern and northern parts of the country. Further, the Sairang – Silchar passenger train service, which was inaugurated by Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw in January 2026, provided a regular and reliable passenger train service connecting Sairang with the Barak Valley of Assam.
Over the course of the last one year, these train services have completed more than 1100 trips, becoming an integral part of the lives of the people of Mizoram. The strongest endorsement of the importance of these train services have come from the passengers themselves, receiving the patronage of over 15 Lakh passengers. Passenger demand for these trains have consistently remained very high, with all trains running at over 100% capacity on every trip.
As per officials reports, the tri – weekly train service from Sairang to Kolkata recorded an average occupancy level of over 140 %, while occupany in the daily train service from Sairang to Guwahati has consistently stayed above 110%. The Sairang Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express has similarly achieved an average occupany of over 145 %. These train services have also generated total ticket sales of Rs 54 Crores for the Indian Railways.
During this last one year, Sairang railway station has successfully catered to more than 5.54 lakh passenger movements, with an average of 3300 passengers visiting the station every day. The railway station has not only emerged as a vital hub for passenger travel, but also an integral part of community life in the surrounding area, with local residents carrying out tree plantations and other environmental initiatives around the station complex.
Freight Transformation: Rail Cargo to Aizawl
The Bairabi Sairang Railway line has also brought about transformative change in freight transportation in Mizoram, enabling goods including essential commodities, automobiles and construction materials to reach Aizawl in a safe, time bound and cost effective manner.
The first railway cargo train arrived at Sairang on September 14, 2025, just one day after the inauguration of the new line, carrying a consignment of more than 26000 bags of cement from STAR Cement Siding at Tetelia near Guwa.
