Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off Mizoram’s first Rajdhani Express on September 13, connecting Sairang station in Aizawl with Anand Vihar station in Delhi. The move marks a historic milestone, bringing the state’s capital onto India’s national railway map. According to an official notification from the Northeast Frontier Railway, weekly services of the 20-coach train will commence from September 19. Covering a distance of 2,510 km, the journey will take approximately 43 hours and 25 minutes at an average speed of 57.81 km/h, with 21 scheduled stops at key stations including Guwahati, New Cooch Behar, New Jalpaiguri, Malda Town, Bhagalpur, Patna, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, and Kanpur.
On inauguration day, the train will depart Sairang at 10 am, reaching Anand Vihar at 7:30 am on Monday. Regular service, train number 20597, will depart Sairang at 4:30 pm on September 19, arriving at Anand Vihar at 10:50 am on September 21. The return journey, train number 20598, will leave Anand Vihar at 7:50 pm on September 21 and reach Sairang at 3:15 pm on September 23. Due to ongoing electrification, a diesel locomotive will haul the train from Bairabi to Guwahati, where an electric locomotive will take over for the remainder of the journey to Delhi. In addition to the Rajdhani, PM Modi will also inaugurate a daily Sairang–Guwahati express and a tri-weekly Sairang–Kolkata service.
The Bairabi–Sairang broad-gauge line, initially conceptualised in 1999 and converted from meter gauge in 2016, overcame numerous challenges including difficult terrain, short working seasons, and frequent landslides. Its completion is a significant achievement, providing enhanced connectivity for Mizoram’s residents and boosting regional development.
