The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag new rail line project in Uttarakhand has achieved 73.5 per cent physical progress till March 2026, according to the latest government data.
The 125 Km rail corridor, considered one of the most complex railway construction projects in the country due to its Himalayan terrain, has an original project cost of ₹38,953 crore.
According to the monthly project monitoring flash report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) for the month of March, the strategic rail line project has now crossed 73.5 per cent physical progress.
Further, around ₹28,269 crore, out of the total estimated ₹38,953 crore project cost, has been spent so far on the 125 Km broad-gauge corridor, which is designed to provide all-weather connectivity to the Garhwal Himalayas and strengthen access to the border regions.
Construction of the project involves extensive tunnelling, bridges, and mountain engineering across Uttarakhand’s geologically fragile zones.
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The project involves construction of 16 Main line tunnels of 104 Km length and 12 Escape tunnels of about 98 Km length.
According to the Railways Ministry, main line tunnels of 99 Km length and 9 escape Tunnels of over 94 Km length have been completed so far.
The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is a key strategic and connectivity project, aimed at improving all-weather rail access to the Garhwal region and supporting both civilian mobility and strategic logistics.
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which is the implementing agency for the strategically important rail corridor in Uttarakhand, has said that work on the strategic Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line project is progressing at full pace, with a target to complete the project by December 2028.
Once finished, the railway line will provide direct connectivity from Rishikesh to major towns in Uttarakhand including Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag, significantly cutting travel time and improving access to key pilgrimage centres and strategically important locations in Uttarakhand.
