Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Line Project: Nine Out Of 16 Mainline Tunnels, Eight Major Bridges Completed

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that nine out of the 16 mainline tunnels have been completed on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway project in Uttarakhand.

The 125-kilometre rail line, which passes through challenging Himalayan terrain, passes through Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudrapryag and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand and will provide rail connectivity to the hilly regions of the state.

It will connect religious and tourist spots in Uttarakhand with Rishikesh and Delhi.

With 84 per cent of its total length, the alignment of the project predominantly passes through tunnels.

The project involves the construction of 16 mainline tunnels, totaling 105 kilometers, and 12 escape tunnels, covering 98 kilometers.

"So far, 9 main line tunnels of 94 Km length and 8 escape tunnels of over 88 km length have been completed," Vainshaw said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

To expedite progress, 8 adits, additional tunnel excavation openings, were also identified, and work on all of them, covering 4.822 kilometers, has been finished.

The longest tunnel of the project, Tunnel T8, will span 14.59 kilometers, making it the longest railway tunnel in India once completed.

"Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) has been deployed for construction of this tunnel," the minister said, adding that the tunneling is being carried out with all precautions and latest technology to ensure minimum damage to ecology and surroundings.

In addition to the tunnels, 8 out of the 19 major bridges have also been completed.

"The project also involves construction of 19 Important./Major Bridges. 8 out of 19 Important/major bridges have also been completed. Works in balance bridges have also been taken up," the minister said.

As part of the project, 12 new railway stations are also being constructed. These are Yognagari Rishikesh , Shivpuri, Byasi, Devprayag, Janasu, Maletha, Ranihat Naithan (Srinagar), Dhari Devi, Tilani, Gholtir, Gauchar and Karnprayag.

Also Read: Alibag Rail Line Project In Maharashtra Shelved Due To Low Traffic Projections, Alternate Route Awaiting RCF Consent: Vaishnaw