+
New Austrian tunnelling to be used in Vizhinjam tunnel
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

New Austrian tunnelling to be used in Vizhinjam tunnel

The low-cost New Austrian Tunnelling Method will be used in Vizhinjam to construct the third-largest railway tunnel in the country. It is the first subterranean road in the nation built with low-cost, contemporary drilling and blasting technology rather than the costly tunnel boring machine approach. It doesn't require a lot of room either. It only takes 5.5 hectares of land instead of the originally needed 65 hectares because it is an underground road. In order to reinforce the sides, New Austrian Tunnelling employs drilling that involves breaking and grinding the rock in accordance with its structure and nature.

The detailed project report (DPR) for the subterranean railway that will be built for container movement at Vizhinjam port was authorised by the project construction committee, which was presided over by Chief Secretary Dr. V Venu. Construction is the responsibility of Konkan Railway. The port to main railway line at Balaramapuram is connected by a 10.76-kilometer route. 9.5 kilometres of this are underground. It is anticipated that the subterranean road would be finished in 42 months. The tunnel will take three years to build. The port is now nearing completion.

The first phase will be inaugurated in September. A trial run will be held next month after bringing containers on two huge barges.The other two largest railway tunnels in the country are the 12.75 km tunnel, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link and the 11.2 km long Pir Panjal. Container removal will be by road until the construction of the railway is completed. For this, the port road was widened by connecting it with the Kanyakumari highway. The construction will be done jointly by the port company and the state government. Central assistance will also be sought to find the money.

The low-cost New Austrian Tunnelling Method will be used in Vizhinjam to construct the third-largest railway tunnel in the country. It is the first subterranean road in the nation built with low-cost, contemporary drilling and blasting technology rather than the costly tunnel boring machine approach. It doesn't require a lot of room either. It only takes 5.5 hectares of land instead of the originally needed 65 hectares because it is an underground road. In order to reinforce the sides, New Austrian Tunnelling employs drilling that involves breaking and grinding the rock in accordance with its structure and nature. The detailed project report (DPR) for the subterranean railway that will be built for container movement at Vizhinjam port was authorised by the project construction committee, which was presided over by Chief Secretary Dr. V Venu. Construction is the responsibility of Konkan Railway. The port to main railway line at Balaramapuram is connected by a 10.76-kilometer route. 9.5 kilometres of this are underground. It is anticipated that the subterranean road would be finished in 42 months. The tunnel will take three years to build. The port is now nearing completion. The first phase will be inaugurated in September. A trial run will be held next month after bringing containers on two huge barges.The other two largest railway tunnels in the country are the 12.75 km tunnel, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link and the 11.2 km long Pir Panjal. Container removal will be by road until the construction of the railway is completed. For this, the port road was widened by connecting it with the Kanyakumari highway. The construction will be done jointly by the port company and the state government. Central assistance will also be sought to find the money.

Next Story
Real Estate

Heena Lalwani Buys Rs 1.13 Billion Juhu Apartment

Heena Lalwani, promoter of Aatman Innovations Private Limited, has purchased a luxury apartment worth Rs 1.13 billion in Mumbai’s upscale Juhu locality, according to property registration documents accessed by Zapkey.com.The 9,862 sq ft apartment, located on the 10th floor of Lodha Developers’ Avalon Tower, was acquired at Rs 115,000 per sq ft and comes with five car parking spaces. The deal, registered on 18 August 2025, also included the payment of Rs 68 million in stamp duty and a Rs 30,000 registration fee.Lodha Developers did not respond to queries regarding the transaction, while the..

Next Story
Real Estate

Godrej Buys KPHB Land for Rs 7 Billion in E-Auction

An acre of prime land in Kukatpally Housing Board (KPHB), Hyderabad, was auctioned for Rs 7 billion, with the Telangana Housing Board generating Rs 5.47 billion from the sale of 7.8 acres through e-auction on 20 August 2025.The auction notification was issued last month, attracting bids from Godrej Properties, Aurobindo Realty, Prestige Estates, and Ashoka Builders, according to Board vice-chairman V.P. Gautham. With an offset price of Rs 4 billion per acre, the three-hour auction saw 46 bid increases, before Godrej Properties acquired the land.Revenue generated from the auction will be utilis..

Next Story
Real Estate

HMDA to Auction 93 Prime Plots in September

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is preparing to conduct a three-day auction of prime open plots across Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts this September.According to official reports, the e-auction will take place on 17, 18, and 19 September, offering 93 plots. Of these, 70 are located in the Bachupally HMDA layout, with the remainder spread across Turkayamjal, Kokapet, Poppalguda, Chandanagar, Bairagiguda, Gandi Maisamma, Suraram, Medipally, and Bachupally village.The highest upset price has been fixed at Rs 175,000 per square yard for a land parce..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?