New Bairabi-Sairang rail line set to improve connectivity in Mizoram , Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Bairabi-Sairang broad-gauge rail line, spanning 51.38 km and built at a cost of ₹5,021 crore, will be inaugurated in Mizoram in the second week of September.
• The new rail line will connect Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, to the rest of India via Silchar in Assam.
• Indian Railways aims to connect all northeastern states including Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Sikkim to the national network by 2030.
• The rail line includes 48 tunnels with a total length of 12.85 km and 55 major bridges, including the Krung Bridge which is 114 m high.

Detailed Insights:

• The Bairabi-Sairang rail line will provide an affordable transportation option for Mizoram residents and is expected to boost economic activities and tourism in the region.
• The project's foundation stone was laid virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 29, 2014, and the first passenger train between Bairabi and Silchar was flagged off on May 27, 2016.
• Currently, essential goods are transported from Silchar to Mizoram by road, taking approximately 10 hours, but the new rail line will reduce travel time to about three hours.
• The new line integrates the railway network with Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh via Bhodahpur Junction.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Broad-gauge line: A railway track gauge where the distance between the rails is wider than the standard gauge of 1,435 mm.
• Northeast Frontier Railway: One of the 18 railway zones in India, responsible for rail transport in the northeastern states.
• Connectivity: The measure of how well different locations or systems are linked together.