Aizawl/Guwahati, Sep 8 : Preparations are in full swing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's possible visit to Mizoram to inaugurate the Bairabi'Sairang new railway project on September 13, officials said on Monday.

The 51.38km Bairabi (near Assam's Hailakandi district)-Sairang (near Aizawl city) railway project will make Aizawl the fourth capital city in the Northeast region to be connected by railways after Guwahati, Agartala and Itanagar.

Senior officials of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), led by General Manager (Construction) Arun Kumar Chaudhary, are making hectic preparations to give final touches to the railway project and arrangements for the inauguration.

'Prime Minister's final confirmation and schedule of Mizoram visit not yet received from the PMO (Prime Minister's Office). But we are making all preparations for the PM visit and inauguration of the vital railway project,' the NFR official told IANS, refusing to be named. He said that as per the tentative schedule, the Prime Minister would address a public gathering in Assam Rifles ground and inaugurate the railway project at the newly built Sairang railway station.

Union Ministers and senior officials of several ministries, including the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Tribal Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, would be present in the events.

The NFR officials said that after the inauguration Bairabi-Sairang new railway project, three express trains would start their operation connecting the Mizoram capital Aizawl and Guwahati, Kolkata and Delhi.

Railway Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satish Kumar and NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, and other senior officials have already visited Mizoram and the railway project sites and held a series of meetings with the state Chief Minister Lalduhoma in Aizawl and discussed the Bairabi-Sairang new railway project.

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, earlier said that the Railway Board Chairman discussed with the Mizoram Chief Minister about the railway project as well as other strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening railway infrastructure in the Northeastern state.

The Bairabi-Sairang New Line Railway Project holds immense significance as it marks a major step towards strengthening rail connectivity in the Northeast.

The CPRO Sharma said that this landmark project (Bairabi-Sairang) would provide direct rail connectivity to Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, for the first time, thereby fully integrating the state into the national railway network. It would also enhance trade, boost tourism, improve passenger convenience and open new avenues for socio-economic development, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of the people of Mizoram to witness trains reaching the heart of their capital city, he added.

The official said that the 51.38-km-long Bairabi-Sairang new line railway project is considered an engineering marvel of Indian Railways, built at an estimated cost of Rs 8,071 crore. The project consists of 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges. The project includes tunnels with a total length of 12,853 metres, with the longest tunnel (Tunnel No. 3) spanning about two km. The height of bridge number 196 is 114 metres, which is 42 metres taller than the Qutub Minar, the CPRO added.

The project also includes five Road Over Bridges and six Road under Bridges. This new line project also includes construction of four new stations -- Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang and Sairang.

Despite the challenging terrain, the NFR has accomplished remarkable work in extending rail connectivity to Aizawl, overcoming significant geographical and engineering hurdles to make this long-awaited project a reality, CPRO Sharma said.

/IANS