Rajdhani Express from Mizoram records over 160% occupancy

Barely a month since its inauguration, the newly commissioned Bairabi-Sairang railway line in Mizoram has shown “remarkable results,” with both passenger and freight services registering overwhelming responses, the Railway Ministry said on October 2.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 51.38-km-long line on September 13 by flagging off the first Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express from Sairang. Since then, the route has not only strengthened passenger connectivity but also opened up fresh opportunities for trade and employment in the Northeast, officials said.

Passenger trains on the route have been running well beyond capacity, with the Sairang–Delhi Rajdhani Express recording 162.5 per cent occupancy on its inaugural run, while the return journey registered 158.3 per cent. 

Guwahati-bound services also witnessed a full response, with the Sairang–Guwahati Express nearly touching 100 per cent occupancy and its return leg fully booked in sleeper class.

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The Kolkata service too drew a strong response, with the Sairang–Kolkata Express reporting close to 100 per cent occupancy and the return Kolkata–Sairang train recording 144.8 per cent occupancy. “These trends clearly reflect the aspirations and confidence of the people in railways as a lifeline of growth and development,” the Ministry said.

The freight segment has shown equally encouraging signs. Eight rakes were unloaded at Sairang station by September 30, carrying cement, stone chips, sand, automobiles, and ready-mix concrete. The first parcel consignment—a batch of Anthurium flowers from Mizoram—was dispatched to Delhi on September 19 via the Rajdhani Express parcel van.

Officials said the freight operations from Molvom in Nagaland have also begun, offering new opportunities for market access across the Northeast.

The Ministry noted that the response underscores the growing demand for reliable and direct rail connectivity in Mizoram and neighbouring states, while reinforcing railways’ role as an enabler of economic growth in the region.