At present, the work of digging tunnels on the much awaited Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway project is progressing rapidly. Till now, digging work of total 150.80 km tunnels has been completed. But now this railway project is ready to take another step forward. The work of laying rail track on the rail project from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag is also going to start. Tenders for this will be allotted this month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project is being prepared at a total cost of Rs 16216 crore. More than Rs 10748.29 crore has been spent so far on the Rishikesh Karnaprayag Rail Project. Talking about digging of tunnels in the entire project, till now about 71 percent work on the project has been completed.
In this 125 km long project from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag, 104 km railway line will pass through 17 tunnels. Apart from these 17 tunnels, there are also 12 exit tunnels and adits and cross passages on the project, taking the total length of tunnels to 213 km. Talking about the digging of tunnels till now, the work of digging of 150.809 km of 213.277 km of tunnels has been completed. According to the executing agency Rail Vikas Nigam, as the work of digging the tunnels is being completed, the work of final lining (flattening the tunnels and preventing water leakage) in the tunnels is also being carried forward.
With this, Rail Vikas Nigam is now going to take another step forward towards giving shape to the project. Chief Project Manager of Rail Vikas Nigam Ajit Singh Yadav said that tenders have been invited for the railway track on the Karnaprayag Rail Project. Tenders will be allotted on 24th February. After one month, the construction of rail track on the project will also start.
Rail track will be constructed inside the tunnels with blastless technology
The rail track of the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project will not be of blasted (stone ballast) technology like the normal rail track but will be a blastless (ballast free) track. Such tracks are made for metro rail or such blastless tracks are made at railway stations. In the Rishikesh Karnaprayag Rail Project, about 104 km of rail line will pass through tunnels, hence only blastless track will be constructed on the rail track inside the tunnels. Whereas at places where the rail line will be in the open outside the tunnels, the rail track will be of traditional blasted technology. There will be 133 km of blastless track and 42 km of blasted track.
Chief Project Manager Ajit Singh Yadav said that blastless tracks are stronger and safer. These do not require much maintenance.
Progress of tunnels on Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project
Tunnel – Total Length – Excavated So Far
Main Tunnel – 103.805 km – 71.289 km
Exit Tunnel – 97.600 km – 70.436 km
Cross Passage – 7.050 km – 4.262 km
Adit Tunnel – 4.822 km – 4.822 km
Total length – 213.277 km – 150.809 km
