Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma announced on Monday that the Center has approved a Rajdhani express to connect the northeastern state with Delhi. This comes after Lalduhoma met with railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and asked to provide for a Rajdhani that will serve as a direct rail link between Aizawl and Delhi, Kolkata, and Tripura, as reported by PTI.The announcement was made when Lalduhoma was addressing the celebration of Remna ni, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Mizoram peace accord in Aizawl. “The railway minister has complied with our request. We will get Rajdhani express service. There will be train service between Aizawl and Delhi and two other cities Tripura (Agartala) and Kolkata,” he said. The event was hosted by the apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), and was held at Lammual in Aizawl. The construction of the 51.38 km long Bairabi-Sairang railway line has been completed and is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as per chief minister Lalduhoma. The chief minister said he had requested the Centre to upgrade Sairang railway station into a world-class facility, a proposal that has been approved.“The railway line is ready for inauguration. We are waiting for the Prime Minister to open it,” he said.The Bairabi-Sairang railway line marks the first-ever direct rail link to Aizawl, connecting it to the national railway grid via Silchar. The project features numerous bridges and 48 tunnels and overcame difficult terrain and significant logistical challenges. Noting that the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) is nearing its completion, Lalduhoma commented that Mizoram is set to emerge as a key commercial hub and gateway to ASEAN countries. “When the KMMTTP is completed, it will be a commercial link to not only Mizoram but the entire country. Mizoram’s gateway will be shifted to the southern side,” he added.The KMMTTP project aims to connect the Kolkata port with Sittwe port in Myanmar by sea, then via the Kaladan river to Paletwa in southern Chin state in Myanmar, and then connect by road to Mizoram.