Centre Keen On Combined Road And Rail Tunnel Projects, Asks Ministries To Work Together: Report

India’s road and rail ministries have agreed to jointly construct rail-cum-road tunnels along corridors deemed vital for connectivity and national security.

Senior officials from both ministries recently met to discuss three major projects, with feasibility studies to begin immediately, Times of India has reported.

The move follows a Cabinet Secretariat directive asking the two departments to collaborate on shared infrastructure.

A Joint Working Group (JWG) was subsequently formed to explore how common tunnels could be planned and built in a more cost-effective and integrated manner.

During the meeting, the Northeast Frontier Railway outlined a new line on the Dumdangi–Rangapani–Bagdogra stretch, which would include a 22 km tunnel.

At the same time, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared the alignment for the Gorakhpur–Siliguri Expressway.

Given the strategic sensitivity of the so-called “Chicken’s Neck” corridor linking the Northeast with the rest of India, officials agreed to examine linking the expressway with the rail alignment, potentially allowing both to share the proposed tunnel.

In Karnataka, the focus is on the Maranahally–Addahole section of the Shiradi Ghat, where the highway design features 21 km of tunnels, including one nearly 16 km long.

NHAI has been asked to finalise feasibility for a combined rail-road structure within two months.

Equally ambitious is the proposal to build an underwater tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra, connecting Gohpur with Numaligarh in Assam. The railways and the NHIDCL will conduct a preliminary study within the same timeframe.

Experts point out that such shared infrastructure not only lowers construction and operational costs but also minimises environmental impact by reducing duplication of tunnels, ventilation systems and monitoring networks.

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