By rosebell
Running between Devprayag and Janasu in Uttarakhand, the Tunnel No. 8 on Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd’s 125km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Broad Gauge project is 14.57km long.
TBM Shakti made the breakthrough on Package 4 and as the largest TBM to be deployed in the Himalayan region, this machine is a 9.11m-diameter single shield TBM and made a advance of 413m per month while building 10.4km of the tunnel. Also the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) was used to complete the remaining 4.11km.
Celebrating the breakthrough, union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described the achievement as a testament to India’s engineering strength and the commitment to enhancing railway infrastructure in even the most difficult terrains.
According to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami: “The tunnel’s potential to revolutionise Uttarakhand’s socio-economic landscape by enhancing connectivity to remote areas, boosting tourism and economic growth.”
The responsibility of Packages 2 and 4 of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag project is up to Larsen & Toubro, whereas it links Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag across five Himalayan districts.
Additionally, 26.6km of tunnel excavation, 28km of tunnel lining, two railway bridges, one road bridge, and embankments, are the contents of Package 2.
