Jalna-Jalgaon Line: Iconic Ajanta Caves To Be Connected With Rail Network Via India's Longest Transportation Tunnel At 23 km

Ajanta Caves, the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, is set to enter the rail map of India.

A 23.5 km transportation tunnel, developed as part of the Jalna-Jalgaon new railway line, will provide a railway connectivity to the Ajanta Caves.

The transportation tunnel, set to be India's longest when complete, will be carved in the Ajanta mountain range. Currently, the 11.2 km Pir Panjal railway tunnel, a part of the 272km Udhampur – Srinagar – Baramulla rail link project, is the longest rail tunnel in the country.

On Aug 8, the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the construction of a new 174 km railway line between Jalna and Jalgaon in Maharashtra. The 174 km rail route was among the eight new projects approved by the CCEA at an estimated cost of Rs. 24,657 crore.

The Jalna-Jalgoan railway line will be developed at a cost of Rs 7,106 crore, with equal contributions from Indian Railways and the Maharashtra government.

In July 2023, the Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde, approved Rs 3,552 crore expenditure for the new Jalna-Jalgaon broad gauge railway line.

"The new line is set to reduce the travel distance between Jalna and Jalgaon by nearly 50%, from 336 km to 174 km." Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during the press briefing.

"The project will need the acquisition of 935 hectares of land. The rail line is expected to be completed within 4 to 5 years. It is expected to generate 60 lakh man-days of employment and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 54 crore kilograms, equivalent to planting 2.2 crore trees." he added.

The new project has the potential to significantly improve connectivity between Marathwada, North Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and the coastal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The project is likely to facilitate faster transportation of agricultural products like soybeans and cotton, and support industries such as fertilizer and cement to the hinterland.

The project is set to provide a big boost to tourism in Marathwada region.

The Ajanta Caves are a remarkable collection of 29 rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district. These ancient Buddhist cave temples and monasteries are renowned for their exquisite murals, which are considered to be among the finest surviving examples of Indian art. The caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.