A historic moment has arrived for Mizoram as Aizawl is now firmly etched onto India’s railway map, thanks to the commissioning of the Bairabi-Sairang railway line. This 51.38-km stretch, a testament to perseverance against monumental odds, was officially brought to life in June this year by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, fulfilling a vision first conceived in September 1999. The line is poised for a grand inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the near future.
The journey to connect Mizoram by rail was anything but straightforward. Back in 1999, the initial thought of a preliminary survey was quickly dismissed due to the impenetrable thick forests, poor visibility, and challenging local conditions. This led to an agreement to conduct a reconnaissance survey, a rough assessment of the proposed route. A detailed examination, known as a Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic (PET) survey, was deemed unfeasible. A senior railway official recounted that the Railway Board, upon request, agreed on July 15, 2003, to switch to a Reconnaissance Engineering-Cum-Traffic (RET) survey. The Northeast Frontier Railways conducted this RET survey for the Bairabi-Sairang Rail link in March 2006. Subsequently, in 2008, RITES was tasked with a pre-construction Survey and Geo-Technical Investigation for a new Broad Gauge line, submitting their final report in August 2011. Recognizing its critical importance in linking Mizoram with the rest of the country, the then UPA government declared this project a “National Project” in 2008-09. The foundation stone was laid by PM Modi on November 29, 2014. The NF Railways completed the land acquisition by 2014-2015, with full-swing construction commencing in 2015-16.
Vinod Kumar, the chief engineer of the ambitious project, highlighted the array of challenges faced by the teams on the ground. The working season in the region is incredibly brief, spanning only four to five months from November to March, with heavy monsoon rains halting all operations from April to October. The railway line navigates through treacherous hilly terrain, deep valleys, and gorges, necessitating the construction of numerous tunnels and towering bridges. Even transporting materials proved to be a constant battle due to frequent disruptions on the National Highway between Guwahati and Silchar. Engineers on site further explained that project access roads were narrow, often had steep gradients, and were highly susceptible to landslides, becoming slippery and impassable even after a single rain shower. This meant materials brought on large trucks had to be transhipped into smaller carriers for the final leg of the journey to the site. Transporting large cranes for bridge girder erection involved dismantling and reassembling them at the site. The scarcity of local labour in Mizoram compounded difficulties, with workers having to be brought in from other states. Kumar noted that the remoteness of the project sites and a lack of mobile network coverage in many areas also deterred potential labourers, leading to persistent shortages. Furthermore, essential construction materials like sand and stone chips were unavailable locally and had to be sourced from neighbouring states such as Assam, West Bengal, and Meghalaya. Despite these formidable obstacles, the NFR successfully constructed a line featuring 48 tunnels spanning 12.853 km, 55 major and 87 minor bridges, five road overbridges, and nine road underbridges. Among these, bridge number 196 stands as a remarkable feat of engineering, soaring to a height of 104 metres – a staggering 42 metres taller than the iconic Qutub Minar.
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