India’s Longest Rail Tunnel Breakthrough in Uttarakhand
India’s longest rail tunnel has been successfully breakthrough today (April 16). Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami were present on this occasion. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has achieved a major milestone. It is associated with the 125 km long Rishikesh-Karnprayag broad gauge rail project of Uttarakhand. It has a total of 16 tunnels from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag.
On this historic occasion, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami jointly reached the tunnel site and inspected it. During this, they took stock of the construction works and took information about the tunnel from the officials. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav expressed happiness over the successful breakthrough of the tunnel and said that this is an important step towards the development of Uttarakhand. He congratulated all the railway officials, employees and workers for this achievement. The Railway Minister also said that the work of Rishikesh-Karnprayag Rail Project is progressing rapidly and operations are expected to start on this rail line soon. This project will prove to be a milestone in connecting the hilly areas of the state with the rail network. He said that this 14.57 km long railway tunnel (from Devprayag Saud to Janasu) is the longest tunnel not only in Uttarakhand but in the whole of India. He said that on the initiative of the Central Government, this is the first time that TBM technology has been used to build a rail tunnel in the hilly areas of the country. He said that the speed and accuracy shown in the work by this single-shield rock TBM with a diameter of 9.11 meters sets a new benchmark at the global level. The Railway Minister said that the Rishikesh-Karnprayag project will connect major cities of Uttarakhand like Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar and Karnaprayag.
The Railway Minister said that this project will reduce the journey from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag from seven hours to just two hours. It will facilitate access to remote areas in all seasons and promote tourism and economic development in Uttarakhand. It is also a big step towards completing the Char Dham Rail Project. With this achievement, RVNL has established its strong position in modern construction technology in the most difficult areas of India. This success is not just the story of a tunnel, but the beginning of a new, strong and connected India.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that this tunnel is a historic achievement towards the development of Uttarakhand. The Rishikesh-Karnprayag Rail Project will play an important role in connecting the remote mountain areas of the state with the rest of the country. It will not only make transportation easier for the local people, but will also give a new impetus to tourism, business and economic activities in the region. He said that infrastructure development in the state has got new direction and momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This tunnel from Devprayag-Sod to Srinagar Janasu is a major achievement from a technical point of view and it shows that despite difficult geographical conditions, we can successfully carry out development works. He also said that the survey of the Tanakpur Bageshwar rail project has also been done and further action will be taken soon.
