The opening of the new Rajdhani railway line that has been constructed between Sairang, which is near Aizawl, and New Delhi has brought a large jump in tourism in Mizoram, provoking worries amongst the local people about pressure on the infrastructure, environmental concerns and concerns about their culture.
Rajdhani Express, which was introduced in Rajasthan from Sairang to Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi, has made its connectivity to the northeastern state a lot better. But residents and tourism stakeholders contend rapid increases in the tourism have introduced new challenges to the region, which has relatively little tourist activity.
Tourism has also provided opportunities for various local businesses, such as handicraft markets, transport services and hotels, among others, who have welcomed the new opportunities it has provided for the livelihoods of those who live in the area. Meanwhile, pressure is rising from overcrowding and waste production and tourists are allegedly disregarding local culture and are prioritizing social media presence and production of intense short videos.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had opened the Bairabi-Sairang railway route from the Lengpui airport last September, which he termed as a game-changer for the region, and it is believed to boost trade, tourism, education, healthcare and industrial development in the state.
Mizoram state tourism department has estimated that in the last six months alone it probably has about 8.01 lakh tourists. The highest footfall of over 1.33 lakh (December 2025) and 1.21 lakh (January 2026) occurred in those two months.
The number of tourists on the recently opened railway line already exceeded the amount of tourists last year, including 5.12 lakh, a more than 86 per cent rise from the time of opening, officials say.