Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) Sumeet Singhal authorised operation of freight and passenger trains in the 16.725 km-broad gauge line between Bhairabi and Hortoki.
The CRS completed the statutory inspection of the section at the end of last month, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) release said. This section is part of the 51.38 km-long Bhairabi-Sairang project, with over 90 per cent physical progress in the new line already achieved. The new line between Bhairabi and Sairang is divided into four sections – Bhairabi–Hortoki, Hortoki–Kawnpui, Kawnpui–Mualkhang and Mualkhang–Sairang. The CRS has approved operations of trains through the newly laid line at a maximum speed of 75 km per hour after successful inspection and speed trail.
The newly laid BG line section has 20 major bridges and 27 minor bridges. There are 13 tunnels or covered ways in this new section. The Bhairabi–Hortoki section has been constructed for train operation at a maximum speed of 100 km per hour in the main line and 30 km per hour in loop lines. The Bhairabi-Sairang railway project involves multiple tunnels and bridges in tough terrains, with the total length of tunnels in the project being 12853 meters. The entire project will have a total of 55 major bridges and 89 minor bridges. On completion, the new rail line project will provide enhanced connectivity to the people of Mizoram, help grow small-scale industries in the area and boost tourism in the state.
