Tunnel boring on the Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail line in Uttarakhand has progressed at the second fastest rate in the world, according to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Gaur. He said a 14.58 kilometre tunnel between Devprayag and Janasu was completed at a monthly average of four hundred and thirteen metres, second only to Spain’s Cabrera tunnel.

Of the tunnel’s length, 10.47 km was bored using a German Single Shield tunnel boring machine, while the rest used the conventional drill and blast method. When commissioned, the tunnel will become the longest transport tunnel in India.

The entire one hundred and twenty-five km rail line passes mostly through difficult Himalayan terrain. Around one hundred and five km will be through tunnels, three km via bridges, and the remainder through station yards and adits. It is also the first time a tunnel boring machine of 9.1 metre diameter is being used for a rail project in India’s mountains.

Of the two hundred and thirteen km of planned tunnel length, including escape tunnels, one hundred and ninety-five km has already been completed. The remaining work is expected to finish by December 2026.

Source: Hindustan Times