More than 172 years after railways were introduced in India, Mizoram’s capital Aizawl is about to be connected to the country’s vast railway network for the first time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Bairabi–Sairang broad gauge line during his visit to the state and will also flag off the inaugural Rajdhani Express linking Aizawl with Delhi.
The weekly Rajdhani service will begin on September 19. Train number 20597 will depart from Sairang every Saturday at 4:30 pm and reach Anand Vihar in Delhi at 10:50 am on Monday. The return service, train number 20598, will leave Anand Vihar at 7:50 pm on Monday and arrive in Sairang at 3:15 pm on Tuesday. Along the route, the train will halt at 21 stations, including major junctions such as Guwahati, New Cooch Behar, New Jalpaiguri, Malda Town, Bhagalpur, Patna, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, and Kanpur. A diesel locomotive will operate up to a point, after which an electric engine will take over the journey to Delhi.
The new line features four stations—Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang—and comes at a cost of ₹8,071 crore. Construction required overcoming challenging terrain, with 48 tunnels, over 150 bridges, and stretches cutting through steep hills, deep gorges, and dense forests. Due to the lack of construction materials in Mizoram, the Railways had to bring sand, stone, and other supplies from states such as Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Meghalaya, according to PTI.
The project is expected to transform connectivity for residents of Kolasib and Aizawl districts, offering them faster, cheaper, and more reliable travel options. Until now, Mizoram’s rail link was limited to the Silchar–Bairabi route in Assam, with travel to Aizawl largely dependent on road transport. A 150 km road journey from Silchar to Aizawl cost nearly ₹1,000, while the same distance will now be covered by train for less than ₹80. The new line will also give easier access to healthcare, education, and business hubs such as Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Silchar.
Another highlight of the project is India’s second-highest railway bridge, standing at 114 meters, which is taller than the Qutub Minar by 42 meters. Once regular services begin, travel time between Aizawl and Guwahati will reduce from 16 hours by road to just 12 hours by train, while the Aizawl–Silchar journey will shrink from nearly seven hours by road to three hours.