Mizoram capital Aizawl joined the country’s railway network on Sunday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the ₹8,070-crore Bairabi-Sairang project and flagging three express trains connecting the northeastern state to Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati.
The new trains — Sairang–Delhi Rajdhani Express, Sairang–Guwahati Express and Sairang–Kolkata Express — will provide the people of Mizoram direct connectivity to major cities across the country.
Addressing a gathering via videoconference from the Lengpui airport in Mizoram, Modi expressed regret for his inability to be present in Aizawl for the “historic occasion” because of inclement weather.
Dedicating the Bairabi–Sairang railway line to the nation, Modi said: “This is a historic day for the nation, particularly for the people of Mizoram. From today, Aizawl will be on India’s railway map. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to lay the foundation stone of the Aizawl railway line. And today, we proudly dedicate it to the people of the nation.”
“Overcoming many challenges, including difficult terrain, this Bairabi Sairang railway line has become a reality. The skills of our engineers and the spirit of our workers made this possible,” he added.
Mizoram has a ZPM-led state government. It extends need-based support to the BJP-led government at the Centre.
Modi laid the foundation and inaugurated development projects worth over ₹9,000 crore across multiple sectors such as the railways, roadways, energy and sports for Mizoram.
Modi said the Bairabi-Sairang rail line would be the “lifeline of transformation and revolutionise the lives and livelihood of the people of Mizoram”.
“Mizoram has a major role in both the Act East Policy and the emerging North East Economic Corridor.... With the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project and the Sairang–Hmawngbuchhuah rail line, Mizoram will be connected to the Bay of Bengal through South East Asia. This connectivity will boost trade and tourism across North East India and South East Asia,” he said.
The Prime Minister said “some political parties in the country practised vote-bank politics” for a long time, with their focus remaining on places with more votes and seats.
He said those who had been neglected were now at the forefront of development, asserting that his government had been working consistently for the development of the Northeast for the past 11 years.