PM Modi Launches Mizoram’s First Railway Line, Flags Off Maiden Rajdhani Express

Rapid Summary

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Mizoram’s first railway line and flagged off the state’s maiden Rajdhani Express on September 13, 2025.
• The ₹8,070-crore Bairabi-sairang railway line was sanctioned in 2008-09 and started construction in 2015. It spans 51.38 kilometers with challenging terrain involving:

– 45 tunnels, 55 major bridges, and 87 minor bridges.
– Bridge No. 144 near Sairang is taller than Qutub Minar at 114 meters, making it India’s tallest pier railway bridge.

• The rail connectivity includes four main stations: Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang.
• PM Modi flagged off three express trains connecting Sairang (Aizawl) with Delhi (Rajdhani), guwahati, and Kolkata for improved passenger travel options.

additional infrastructure initiatives launched:

• Road Projects:

– Aizawl bypass Road (₹500 crore under PM DevINE scheme) to decongest Aizawl city and improve regional connectivity.
– Thenzawl-Sialsuk Road targeting better access for farmers like dragon fruit growers under NESIDS scheme.
– Khankawn-Rongura Road strengthening market access for horticulture farmers along a planned Ginger Processing Plant.

Other key inaugurations/foundations laid:

1. Chhimtuipui Bridge on Lawngtlai-Siaha Road
2. Khelo India Multipurpose Indoor Hall (sports development)
3. LPG bottling plant at Mualkhang
4. Residential schools: one under Pradhan Mantri jan Vikas Karyakram scheme; another Eklavya Model Residential School.

the new projects aim to enhance logistics efficiency while supporting tourism, employment opportunities, agriculture growth & educational development within Mizoram.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The inauguration of Mizoram’s first railway line marks a milestone toward enhancing regional infrastructure in Northeast India-a region historically constrained by its challenging geography and limited connectivity to the rest of the country. By integrating rural communities via rail links across four strategic stations like Sairang or Hortoki alongside freight-capable services targeting cost-effective cargo scales-this inevitably strengthens active socio-economic ties nationwide & drastically reduces dependency upon longer inefficient choice-lane set-ups

Read more @ https://www.thehindu.com