Rishikesh: As PM Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the world’s highest railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, India is now on the verge of unveiling its longest railway tunnel. Indian Railways is nearing the completion of excavation work of this record-breaking tunnel in the hill state of Uttarakhand by this coming June.
This ambitious Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Line project includes the construction of 17 tunnels along the 125-km track, playing a significant role in connecting the 12 stations on this line. The railway line will also have India’s longest railway tunnel with length 15.57 km between Devprayag and Lachmoli.
17 tunnels and 35 bridges to be constructed
This ambitious project includes the construction of 17 tunnels along the 125-km track, connecting the 12 stations on this line. Additionally, 35 bridges are being built to navigate through the difficult hilly terrain. Apart from this, the longest tunnel on this route, stretching 15.57 km, is also under construction between Devprayag and Lachmoli. For emergency exit, the secondary safety tunnels are also being constructed along with main tunnels. Moreover, a crossroad will connect the two tunnels every 500 meters for enhanced safety purposes. First time Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) are also being employed for fast excavation work to reduce environmental impact during the construction process.
Total tunnel construction span
As per the recent announcements made by the Ministry of Railways, a 176 km stretch of total 213 km of tunnels have already been completed, while construction on 11 stations is advancing in a rapid way. This railway project also achieved the breakthrough of a 6.3 km escape tunnel between Bhattnagar (Gauchar) and Sewai on December 25, with the remaining breakthrough of the 6.2 km main tunnel expected by June 2025. According to RVNL engineer Kiran Kumar, who is associated with this project’s construction, “We are expecting the excavation work of this tunnel to be completed by June 2025, and the tunnel will be completed by February 2026. It is the first time we are using a Tunnel Boring Machine for excavation work in this project, and this has been the reason that we made a record of the highest progress last August. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2027.”
Five districts will get the benefits of this project
Upon completion, the railway line will drastically reduce the travel time between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag from the current seven-hour road journey to just two hours. This will save a significant amount of time and money for travelers. The project will benefit five districts in Uttarakhand: Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli. Moreover, the new railway line will make it much easier for devotees to travel to Char Dham shrines.
Completion timeline and impact
Once the railway line is finished, it will boost tourism and improve connectivity for local residents to other parts of the country. The project is set to be completed by mid-2027 and is expected to transform both tourism and infrastructure in Uttarakhand. It will improve accessibility during the winter months and provide job opportunities for local residents, thereby boosting the state’s economy.
