Indian Railways complete excavation work on 8.6 km long tunnel on upcoming railway line connecting Jammu and Kashmir. (Representational image)
Started almost 10 years ago, the excavation work inside 8.6-km-long railway tunnel in Banihal area of Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, one of the upcoming and most awaited railway projects in India, has been completed, officials have informed. The tunnel will fall on the Jammu and Kashmir railway link project between Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla. The under-construction railway line is stretched over 272-km and will cost the government approx Rs 27,949 crore. It is one of the most challenging projects Indian Railways has undertaken.
Railways complete excavation work on key tunnel on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla upcoming line | Key takeaways
- The vital tunnel between Changaldar and Khari is one of several ongoing under construction projects along the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line, which is likely to be completed by August 15, 2022, providing an alternate surface link between the Kashmir Valley and rest of the country.
- The tunnel was under construction for the past 10 years and the work is being undertaken by Afcons and the ABCI infrastructure companies.
- The last portion was cleared by the ABCI after three years of work on the 2.5-km section of tunnel No.74.
- The 8.6-km-long railway tunnel will connect the 16-km Khari-Banihal section of the 110-km Katra-Banihal railway track, District Development Commissioner Nazim Zia Khan said.
- Khan, who attended the breakthrough function, congratulated the Northern Railway, IRCON and the ABCI for the achievement, saying rest of the work inside the tunnel would be speeded up and completed as per schedule.
- In August, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had reviewed the progress on the Rs 27,949-crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla project and directed the railway authorities to complete the remaining work from Katra to Banihal by Independence Day, 2022.
(With inputs from PTI)
