Another Tunnel in the Himalayas!

Indian Railways’ tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir in progress! After 10 years of construction, the excavation work inside an 8.6 kilometre long railway tunnel in the Banihal area of Ramban district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has finally been completed. According to a PTI report, the crucial railway tunnel between Changaldar and Khari is one of the various ongoing under construction projects along the 272 kilometre long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line of Indian Railways. This ambitious railway line project is expected to be completed by 15 August 2022, providing an alternate surface link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. The work on the tunnel was undertaken by Afcons and the ABCI infrastructure firms.

According to an official, the ABCI cleared the last portion after three years of work on the 2.5 kilometre section of tunnel number 74. The District Development Commissioner, Nazim Zia Khan was quoted in the report saying that the newly constructed 8.6 kilometre long tunnel of Indian Railways will link the 16 kilometre Khari-Banihal section of the 110 kilometre long Katra-Banihal railway track. The District Development Commissioner also congratulated the Northern Railway zone, IRCON and the ABCI for the completion of the tunnel’s excavation work. He further stated the work inside the tunnel would be speeded up as well as completed as per schedule.

In the month of August, the progress on the Rs 27,949 crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla project was reviewed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. He directed the authorities of Indian Railways to complete the rest of the work from Katra to Banihal by Independence Day 2022. Under the project, the highest railway bridge in the world with a height of 359 metres is coming up on the Chenab river. Besides, the country’s first cable stayed railway bridge is also coming up along the railway link on Anji Nallah in Reasi.

Source: FE