In a significant relief for Christmas travellers, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned additional train services between Aizawl and Guwahati. This move comes after persistent efforts by Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member, K Vanlalvena, who highlighted the acute seat shortage faced by people, especially those from Mizoram and the hill areas of Manipur.
MP's Intervention Secures Crucial Connectivity
K Vanlalvena had attempted to raise the pressing issue of travel difficulties in the Rajya Sabha. He pointed out that the surge in passengers during the Christmas season, coupled with the fact that ethnic Mizos from Manipur's hill areas cannot travel via conflict-ridden Imphal, has created a severe crunch. As he was not allotted time during the Zero Hour, the MP took the matter directly to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at his Delhi office on Monday.
While his request for special trains directly from Delhi to Aizawl could not be accommodated, the ministry promptly arranged for additional services on the Guwahati-Aizawl route. Vanlalvena confirmed to the press that these special trains will operate with 14 coaches each, significantly boosting capacity.
Detailed Schedule of the Special Train Services
The new schedule is designed to facilitate round-trip travel during the festive week. According to the MP, the special train will depart from Guwahati on Monday and return to Guwahati from Aizawl's Sairang railway station on Tuesday. The service will repeat, with the train leaving Guwahati again on Wednesday and returning from Aizawl on Thursday.
This arrangement is expected to be a major boon for travellers from Delhi, Guwahati, and other cities who had been stranded due to fully booked trains. By providing a reliable link from Guwahati, a major transit hub, the railways are solving the last-leg connectivity problem for many heading home for Christmas celebrations in Mizoram and Manipur.
Addressing a Seasonal and Conflict-Driven Crisis
The travel crisis this year is twofold. Firstly, there is the annual festive rush of people returning to the Northeast for Christmas. Secondly, the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur has forced a re-routing of travel, with many from the state's hill areas now passing through Mizoram, further straining the existing transport infrastructure.
Vanlalvena emphasized that the shortage of seats on trains plying between Aizawl and cities like Guwahati, Delhi, and Kolkata had become a critical issue. The introduction of these special services between Aizawl and Guwahati is a targeted intervention to alleviate this pressure and ensure smoother festive travel for the region's residents.
