Aizawl, July 20: In a significant development, the Bairabi-Sairang railway line, which will connect Mizoram to the rest of the country, is expected to be commissioned by July next year, according to officials.

According to officers of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), about 93% of work for the 51.38-km line has already been completed. The line, which begins at Bairabi on the Assam-Mizoram border, has 55 major and 87 minor bridges, and 32 tunnels.

During a review meeting for the project, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati was informed that the line till Hortoki will be commissioned in the next few days. A successful trial run has already been conducted on the Bairabi-Hortoki section.

Services till the Mualkhang station are expected to start in the next few months, with the line till Sairang near the state capital Aizawl to be eventually commissioned by July 2025.

The railway project is expected to boost Mizoram’s economy and tourism industry, reducing travel time from Assam and transportation costs. The project, sanctioned in 2008-09, costs Rs 8,213.72 crore as per revised estimates.

Governor Kambhampati said that when the project is complete, it will bring down the time required to travel to Mizoram from Assam and also significantly reduce transportation costs.