Bairabi–Sairang line

Bairabi–Sairang line
Overview
Status	Under construction
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Mizoram, India
Termini	Bairabi Sairang
Stations	4
Website	Indian Railway Website
History
Planned opening	July 2025 (Expected)
Technical
Line length	51.38[1] km (31.93 mi)
Number of tracks	Single diesel line
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
Electrification	No

The Bairabi–Sairang line is a 51 kilometres (32 mi) long railway line from Bairabi to Sairang under the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railways.[2]

Details

The cost of construction from Bairabi to Sairang is estimated at INR 2384 crores, which was later revised at INR 5021.45 crores and now anticipated to be 8605 crores.[3] Bairabi-Sairang rail line entails 142 bridges(55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges), 23 tunnels and four stations namely Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and Sairang, and 28 hectares (69 acres) land was acquired for the construction.[2][4] The Northeast Frontier Railway has completed the work of construction of the tallest pier in Mizoram in the approach of Sairang railway station, the height of this pier is 104 meter, which is 42 meter taller than the Qutub Minar.[5]

Further extension

South spur to Kyauktau railhead to Sittwe in Myanmar

• Zochachhuah (Zorinpui)-Sairang line, 223 km: In August 2015, Indian Railways completed a survey for a new route extension from Sairang to Hmawngbuchhuah/Zorinpui on Mizoram's southern tip on India–Myanmar border, which will provide rail connectivity to Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP).[6] In August 2017, survey for this line was completed.[7] In August 2023, considering the strategic importance the Railway Board approved the commencement of "Final Location Survey" (FSL).[8]

• Zochachhuah (Zorinpui)-Kyaukhtu line: is 200 km planned railway line.

• Sittwe–Kyaukhtu line in Myanmar, 90 km (56 mi) – exists and operational: This route has been operational since 2011. To integrate with other routes-network in Myanmar, it will be further extended 311 km by 2021–22, from Kyaukhtu in north to Ann in south and then south-east to Minbu where it will connect to Myanmar rail network as well as 1,215 km (755 mi) long Kyaukpyu port–Minbu–Kunming high-speed railway being planned by China.[9]

East spur to Kalemyo railhead in Myanmar

• Aizawl-Zokhawthar line future spur, from where it will then be extended to the existing railhead at Kalay (also called Kale and Kalemyo) in Myanmar to form part of the ambitious Trans-Asian Railway.

• Imphal-Moreh line 111km: in August 2023, the "Final Location Survey" (FSL) was already underway and it was expected to be completed soon.[8] Future spur will be extended from Moreh in India to the existing railhead at Kalay in Myanmar.

• Kalemyo-Shwebo line, a new link connecting the existing railheads at Kalemyo and Shwebo for a shorter direct route to Mandalay and beyond.

Current status

• Aug 2019: 65% work was complete.

• Feb 2020: Railway Board Chairman inspected the 51.38 km long Bairabi-Sairang rail line project, which is nearing completion.[1]

• Feb 2021: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused several delays in construction work, and due to lockdowns and lack of labour, the revised deadline of the rail line to Sairang, and the final extension till Mizoram's capital Aizawl, is likely to be completed by March 2023.[10]

• Aug 2023: On 23 August 2023, a span under construction on the Sairang bridge collapsed, killing 26 workers.[11]

• July 2024: About 93% of the project works have been completed and is likely to be completed by July 2025. Since the NFR has successfully done a trial run on the Bairabi – Hortoki section, the Hortoki Station is tentative to be inaugurated within the next few days along with the commissioning of railways services up to Hortoki in Mizoram.

References

1. "Boost for North-East! Indian Railways Jiribam-Imphal rail line project set for completion soon". 24 February 2020.
2. PTI. "Broad gauge track project in Mizoram". CNN IBN Live. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
3. "Bairabi-Sairang rêl kawng siam March 2020-ah zawh tum a ni". Vanglaini.org (in Hindi). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
4. RC Acharya (21 March 2016). "Binding India with ribbons of steel". Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
5. "Northeast Frontier Railway completes the construction of the tallest bridge pier in Mizoram". Railananalysis.com. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
6. Kashyap, Samudra Gupta; Halliday, Adam (22 July 2016). "Massive push to railway infrastructure under way in Northeast". Indian Express.
7. "India's north east opened up". PowerUpConstruction.Com. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
8. Indian Railways mulling to link Myanmar border in Mizoram by rail, India Today, 2 aug 2023.
9. Myanmar in China’s Push into the Indian Ocean, Joshy M Paul, March 14, 2016, retrieved 20 January 2017
10. Indian Railways to complete Bairabi–Sairang railway line project by 2023, railway-technology.com, 15 Feb 2021.
11. India railway bridge collapses during construction (Reuters via The Guardian)