Dimapur: A team from Mizoram’s planning & programme implementation department held a consultative meeting with stakeholders from Nagaland at the Dimapur DC’s conference hall on Thursday to understand how railway connectivity impacts social structures, cultural practices, and economic transformation in Nagaland.The Mizoram team, led by MLA and chairman of the study committee on Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) & Railway Line Services Pu T Lalhlimpula, sought insight into how Nagaland has managed both the opportunities and challenges arising from improved rail connectivity.Speaking about the new railway services in Mizoram at the meeting, Lalhlimpula said the dialogue focused on two major infrastructure initiatives expected to shape the future of the region — the proposed railway line from Bairabi to Sairang in Mizoram and the KMMTTP.He highlighted that the KMMTTP aims to connect Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar by sea, further extending through inland waterways to Paletwa and by road to Mizoram.Funded by the Govt of India and targeted for completion by 2027, the project is expected to provide an alternative connectivity route to the northeastern states by bypassing the Siliguri Corridor and reducing travel distance by over 700km.Referring to Dimapur as a city deeply shaped by railway connectivity, Lalhlimpula said the committee’s visit was not for abstract discussions but to draw from Nagaland’s long-standing experience in rail infrastructure to help guide future projects in Mizoram.Lalhlimpula noted that Nagaland, with its century-old railway history dating back to 1903, offers valuable lessons for Mizoram, which saw Bairabi connected by broad gauge rail only in 2016 and Aizawl linked by rail in Sept 2025.
