Mizoram Chief Minister Champions Railway Revolution for the State
In a significant move aimed at transforming rail connectivity in the northeastern state, Mizoram's Chief Minister Lalduhoma met with the Union Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in New Delhi on Monday. The high-level discussion, held at the Railway Bhavan, focused on accelerating ongoing railway projects and implementing critical improvements to passenger services for the benefit of Mizoram's citizens.
Expediting the Sairang-Thenzawl Corridor and Timely Arrivals
A central point of the meeting was the urgent need to finalize the alignment for the proposed Sairang-Thenzawl railway line. Chief Minister Lalduhoma specifically urged the Centre to fast-track this process, highlighting its importance in the context of the ongoing Thenzawl Peace City Master Plan. In a reassuring response, Minister Vaishnaw committed to completing the alignment review before February 2026.
To enhance daily commuter convenience, the CM presented a practical request: ensuring that trains originating from Sairang arrive in the major hub of Guwahati by approximately 4:30 AM each day. The Union Minister agreed in principle to make the necessary scheduling adjustments to meet this requirement.
Slashing Travel Time and Boosting Frequency
Addressing long-distance travel woes, Lalduhoma pointed out that the current journey from Aizawl to Delhi takes a lengthy 42 hours and 20 minutes. He proactively sought a faster routing for the prestigious Rajdhani Express service. Furthermore, he advocated for an increase in its frequency from the current once a week to twice a week.
Ashwini Vaishnaw responded with encouraging news, assuring that a planned shorter route is expected to reduce the travel duration by a substantial four hours. He also promised a positive follow-up on the proposal to double the frequency of the Rajdhani Express, a move that would significantly improve connectivity to the national capital.
Integrated Services and Additional Requests
The Chief Minister's vision for a modernized rail network extended to other key areas. He requested the rescheduling of the Kolkata-Sairang train for better accessibility. Another important proposal was the formal flagging off of the extension of the Silchar-Bairabi passenger train up to Sairang, which would seamlessly connect more regions.
In a forward-looking step towards digital integration, Lalduhoma also proposed linking the Mizoram ILP Portal with IRCTC. This integration would streamline the travel planning and booking process for visitors requiring Inner Line Permits, making tourism and business travel to the state more efficient.
This comprehensive meeting underscores the state government's dedicated push to bridge the connectivity gap and harness the economic and social benefits of a robust and modern railway system for Mizoram.
