The ambitious 125 Km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line project in Uttarakhand has achieved a major construction milestone, with significant progress recorded in both mainline and escape tunnels, which form the backbone of this Himalayan railway corridor.
According to the information provided by the government in the Lok Sabha, the project involves construction of 16 mainline tunnels spanning about 104 Km and 12 escape tunnels of around 98 Km, highlighting the extremely tunnel-heavy nature of the alignment passing through fragile mountainous terrain.
As per the Ministry of Railways, mainline tunnel works covering approximately 99 Km have been completed, indicating that a substantial portion of the primary tunnel network is already in place.
Alongside this, 9 escape tunnels with a combined length of over 94 Km have also been completed.
“So far, Main line tunnels of 99 km length and 09 Escape Tunnels of over 94 km length have been completed,” Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Taken together, the total completed tunnel length – combining both mainline and escape tunnel – has crossed approximately 193 Km out of the total tunnel scope of 202 km, marking a critical advancement in the execution of the project.
Escape tunnels are a vital safety feature in long railway tunnels, designed to provide evacuation routes and emergency access.
The project alignment predominantly runs through tunnels due to the challenging Himalayan geology, making tunnelling the most critical component of construction.
To accelerate progress, 8 adits (intermediate access points) were also developed, all of which have been completed, helping expedite excavation works across multiple tunnel faces.
The project also includes construction of 19 important/major bridges, of which 8 bridges have already been completed, with work on the remaining bridges progressing in parallel.
“The project also involves construction of 19 Important/Major Bridges. 8 outof 19 Important/Major Bridges have also been completed. Works in balancebridges have also been taken up,” Vaishnaw said.
Once completed, the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line will connect key districts including Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Chamoli, significantly improving connectivity to important religious and tourist destinations such as Devprayag, Karnaprayag, Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath.
The project is expected to transform accessibility in Uttarakhand’s hill regions, reduce travel time, and provide a reliable all-weather transport alternative in a terrain often affected by landslides and road disruptions.
