India's Longest Transport Tunnel Takes Shape in Rishikesh-Karnaprayag

17 Apr 2025 CW Team

India has achieved a significant milestone in railway infrastructure with the successful breakthrough of Tunnel No. 8 in the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Project, located in the challenging terrain of Uttarakhand. At 14.58 kilometre, this tunnel is set to become the longest transport tunnel in the country, surpassing existing tunnels in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

The breakthrough marks a major step in the development of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag broad gauge railway line, which aims to enhance connectivity in Uttarakhand. The line will link important towns such as Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag, spanning five districts: Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli. The project is expected to promote tourism, support local businesses, and significantly reduce travel time across the region.

Constructing the tunnel through the Himalayan terrain has been an engineering feat, with the project involving a total of 213.57 kilometre of tunnels, including 16 main tunnels, 12 escape tunnels, and 7.05 kilometre of cross passages. As of now, 195 kilometre have been completed. Notably, the project marked the first successful use of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in the Himalayan region, with the TBM completing 10.4 kilometre of excavation. The rest of the tunnel work was carried out using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).

Building the tunnel was a challenging task due to weak rock formations, heavy overburden, and water inflows of up to 2,000 litre per minute in some sections. Additionally, the project includes 19 major bridges, five important ones, and 38 minor bridges, with key structures over the Chandrabhaga and Alaknanda rivers already completed.

News source: India Today

Infrastructure Urban

07 Nov 2025

Welspun Enterprises Wins 910 MLD Panjrapur WTP Contract

Welspun Enterprises (WEL), the infrastructure and energy arm of Welspun World, has secured a major contract from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to design, build and operate a 910 million litres per day (MLD) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Panjrapur, Maharashtra.Valued at approximately Rs 31.45 billion, the project encompasses end-to-end civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, including the construction of a treated water sump and pumping station. Of the total value, nearly Rs 11.56 billion is allocated to Operations & Maintenance (O&M), with an additional..

Mitsubishi Power Wins Boiler Upgrade Contract for O Mon 1 Plant

Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, (MHI), has been awarded a contract to support the oil-to-natural-gas fuel conversion at the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant in Can Tho, southern Vietnam. As the OEM of the plant’s existing boiler, Mitsubishi Power will supply key equipment—including new gas burners—and implement a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to reduce NOx emissions and help the plant meet stricter environmental standards.The O Mon 1 facility includes two 330 MW units that commenced operations in 2009 and 2015, with all major equipment or..

Liebherr’s 10,000th XPower Wheel Loader Joins BERGER’s Fleet

BERGER Rohstoffe GmbH has welcomed the 10,000th Liebherr XPower wheel loader to its operations at the Schlag granite quarry in Passau. The milestone machine, officially handed over at Liebherr’s Bischofshofen plant in May 2025, underscores the long-standing partnership between BERGER, Liebherr, and the Beutlhauser Group. Equipped with Liebherr’s signature power-split travel drive, the new L 580 XPower is already delivering strong results under demanding quarry conditions.At the Schlag quarry, BERGER Rohstoffe processes approximately 200,000 tonnes of Bayerwald granite annually into high-qu..