Aizawl/Guwahati, Aug 23 (IANS) Railway Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satish Kumar, on Saturday, held a meeting with the Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma in Aizawl and discussed about the Bairabi–Sairang new railway project.

The 51.38km Bairabi–Sairang railway project will make Aizawl the fourth capital city in the Northeast to be connected by railways after Guwahati, Agartala and Itanagar.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, has said that the Railway Board Chairman discussed with the Mizoram Chief Minister about the Bairabi–Sairang project as well as other strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening railway infrastructure in the Northeastern state.

NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, NFR General Manager (Construction) Arun Kumar Chaudhary, along with other senior railway and construction officials accompanied Satish Kumar during the Mizoram visit and meeting with Chief Minister Lalduhoma.

The Bairabi–Sairang New Line Railway Project holds immense significance as it marks a major step toward strengthening rail connectivity in the Northeast.

An official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the Bairabi–Sairang new railway project on September 13.

The official added that the final confirmation of the Prime Minister’s schedule is yet to come from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The CMO official said that CM Lalduhoma, while addressing the 15th Conference of the Mizoram Police Service Association on Friday, indicated that Prime Minister Modi is likely to flag off the Bairabi–Sairang railway project on September 13.

NFR CPRO Sharma said that this landmark project (Bairabi–Sairang) would provide direct rail connectivity to Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram for the first time, thereby fully integrating the state into the national railway network.

It would also enhance trade, boost tourism, improve passenger convenience and open new avenues for socio-economic development, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of the people of Mizoram to witness trains reaching the heart of their capital city, he added.

The official said that the 51.38-km-long Bairabi–Sairang new line railway project is considered an engineering marvel of Indian Railways, built at an estimated cost of Rs 8,071 crore.

The project consists of 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges.

The project includes tunnels with a total length of 12,853 metre, with the longest tunnel (Tunnel No. 3) spanning about two km.

The height of bridge number 196 is 114 metre, which is 42 metre taller than the Qutub Minar, the CPRO added.

The project also includes five Road Over Bridges and 6 Road under Bridges.

This new line project also includes construction of four new stations — Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and Sairang.

Despite the challenging terrain, the NFR has accomplished remarkable work in extending rail connectivity to Aizawl, overcoming significant geographical and engineering hurdles to make this long-awaited project a reality, CPRO Sharma said.

–IANS

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