Overview

• The Commissioner of Railway Safety authorized operations in June, commissioning the 51.38 km route between Bairabi and Sairang with 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges.
• Since the track is not yet electrified, initial services will use diesel locomotives while electrification from Badarpur to Sairang is targeted for October–November.
• Officials are lobbying to launch the inaugural run with the Rajdhani Express and plan to introduce panoramic Vistadome coaches to showcase Mizoram’s scenic landscapes.
• The new rail link cuts the Bairabi–Aizawl journey from up to six hours by road to about 1.5 hours by train, promising lower logistics costs and greater market access.
• Under India’s Act East policy, the project sets the stage for a 232 km extension to the Myanmar border to strengthen regional trade and frontier security.