Meeting on Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
WORLD: The Planning & Programme Implementation Department of Mizoram Thursday held a meeting with stakeholders in Dimapur to discuss new railway services in the region. The main topics of discussion were the proposed railway line from Bairabi to Sairang and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP).
This project aims to improve connectivity from Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar, extending inland to Paletwa and through roads to Mizoram. Funded by the Government of India and expected to be completed by 2027, the KMMTTP will provide an alternative route for the North-East bypassing the Siliguri Corridor and reducing travel distance by over 700 kilometers.
MLA T Lalhlimpula, who led a delegation from Mizoram, stressed the importance of Nagaland's railway experience as they have been connected for over a century and can offer valuable insights for Mizoram's future infrastructure plans. With the establishment of a broad gauge connection in Bairabi in 2016 and a scheduled railway link to Aizawl in 2025, the committee aimed to gather information on the socio-cultural and economic impacts of railway connectivity.
Member Zomuana gave a PowerPoint presentation on the potential of the KMMTP, which will link Kolkata to Aizawl through multi-modal corridors and is expected to be operational by 2027. This project will benefit Mizoram, Tripura, and lower Assam covering a distance of approximately 880 km with nearly 90 km in Mizoram itself.
Preparatory activities such as stakeholder consultations and visits to Kolkata and Myanmar are currently underway, and a final report is expected by late summer of this year. In terms of rail services, there are daily connections from Guwahati to Sairang, with additional services to New Delhi and Kolkata twice a week.