Next Stop Aizawl, Kohima: Railways Shifts Focus To Northeast After Linking Srinagar & Rameswaram
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The last time a north-eastern capital received railway connectivity was in 2016, when trains reached Tripura's Agartala through Broad Gauge
After connecting Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and restoring rail services to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Railways has now shifted its focus to the Northeast.
Mizoram's capital Aizawl is set to join the railway map soon, becoming the fourth north-eastern capital after Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh to be linked to the national rail network.
While the date for commercial operations on the Bairabi–Sairang line under the Northeast Frontier Railway is yet to be finalised, the necessary approvals have been received. This milestone was achieved after the last section between Sairang and Hortoki received operational clearance.
The total length of the Bairabi–Sairang railway line project is about 52 km, of which approximately 17 km—between Bairabi and Hortoki—has been operational since July 2024.
Now, approvals have been granted for the 33.86 km stretch between Hortoki and Sairang, which lies about 20 km from Aizawl.
While the majority of mainland India and its capitals are served by a dense railway network, many parts of the Northeast and Kashmir had long been waiting. Srinagar's wait ended last week with the inauguration of the completed Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
In April, the new Pamban bridge was inaugurated, restoring train connectivity to Rameswaram after more than two years. The old bridge was declared unsafe for train operations, and constructing the new bridge amid unpredictable sea weather was a major challenge.
Broad Gauge for Northeast
After completing the long-pending Srinagar and Pamban bridge projects, the next major goal for Indian Railways is connecting more north-eastern states.
The Bairabi–Sairang project poses several engineering challenges. It includes 48 tunnels stretching a total of 13 km and 142 bridges, 55 of which are classified as major. One of the bridges is 104 meters high—42 meters taller than the Qutub Minar.
The Northeast Frontier Railway serves the region, covering Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Sikkim.
The last time a north-eastern capital received railway connectivity was in 2016, when trains reached Tripura's Agartala through Broad Gauge.
In April 2014, the first passenger train reached Naharlagun, bringing Itanagar — the capital of Arunachal Pradesh — onto the BG railway map of India. Guwahati was the first among the eight north-eastern states to receive train connectivity.
Next Stations: Kohima and Imphal
With Aizawl almost connected, Indian Railways is now looking toward Nagaland and Manipur.
In Nagaland, the Dimapur–Kohima line has crossed the 60 per cent completion mark, with trains expected to reach Kohima by 2029.
In Manipur, the Jiribam–Imphal railway line is being developed in phases. The 55-km stretch from Jiribam to Khongsang became operational in 2022–23. However, work on the remaining section has slowed due to ongoing unrest in the state.
Train to Sikkim
Among the eight north-eastern states, seven have rail connectivity as of date. Sikkim remains the exception with no train services currently operating within the state.
A new line between Sivok and Rangpo in Sikkim is under construction. Of its total 44.96 km length, 38.65 km (86 per cent) lies in 14 tunnels, while 2.24 km (5 per cent) is in bridges.
Last month, the government announced that this rail line had made significant progress and would be operational soon.
Earlier this year, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced that the Centre has asked the state to return Rs 270 crore allocated for land acquisition for the stalled Byrnihat-Shillong railway project because of delay in commissioning the task.
The 108-km Byrnihat-Shillong railway project has been on hold since 2016-17 due to strong opposition from local groups, who fear it could lead to an influx of outsiders.
As Indian Railways races to bridge the last gaps, the dream of a fully connected India edges closer to reality—from the Himalayas to the Northeast, and from sea to summit.
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tags :
aizawl Indian Railways Kohima manipur meghalaya Rameswaram srinagar Tripura
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 12, 2025, 08:56 IST
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