Inspection of Bhairabi-Hortoki rail line in Mizoram, as part of Bhairabi-Sairang new rail line project.
Credit: Northeast Frontier Railway
Guwahati: Indian Railways have constructed a pier taller than the Qutub Minar as part of its project to put Mizoram capital Aizawl in the country's railway map.
The 104 meter-tall pier, which is 42-meters-taller than the Qutub Minar, a Mughal era monument, has been constructed for the 51.38km new broad-gauge railway line to connect Bhairabi with Sairang, a town situated near Aizawl. Train connectivity is now limited till Bhairabi, situated along Assam-Mizoram border.
"Construction of the Bhairabi – Sairang railway project involves multiple tunnels and bridges in tough terrains. The total length of tunnels in this project is 12, 853 meters. The project will have total 55 major bridges and 89 minor bridges. The work of construction of the tallest pier of the project i.e Pier P - 4 of bridge no. 196 in the approach of Sairang station has also been completed. Height of this pier is 104 meter which is 42 meter taller than the Qutub Minar. There will be four stations, Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang," said a statement issued by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) headquarters at Maligaon in Guwahati.
The Bhairabi-Sairang rail line got the Centre's approval in 2008-09 and is likely to be commissioned by July 2025. Deadline and budget for commissioning the project was revised several times.
Already 16.72km new line between Bhairabi and Hortoki has been completed and on August 22, it got the Commissioner of Railway Safety's nod for operation of freight and passenger trains.
"On completion, the Bhairabi - Sairang new rail line project will provide enhanced connectivity to the people of the Mizoram, help grow small scale industries in the area and boost tourism of the state. This project will ensure substantial cost reduction on transportation of passengers and various materials and commodities to this hilly state to cater to the needs of the local population. Travel time between the capital of Mizoram and nearby places of Assam will reduce significantly. People of the region will get long distance access across the country and uninterrupted supply of essential goods," said the statement issued by Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, the Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR.