India’s Longest Transport Tunnel Takes Shape in Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project
India achieved a major milestone in railway infrastructure on Wednesday with the breakthrough of Tunnel No. 8 in the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Project. Spanning 14.58 kilometres, this tunnel is poised to become the country’s longest transport tunnel—surpassing existing rail and road tunnels in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
The breakthrough marks a significant step forward in the ambitious Rishikesh-Karnaprayag broad gauge railway line, which is designed to dramatically enhance connectivity in Uttarakhand. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Garhwal MP Anil Baluni were present to mark the occasion, underscoring the strategic importance of the project.
A Game-Changer for Uttarakhand
The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is a transformational initiative for the hill state. Once completed, the line will connect key pilgrimage and tourist destinations such as Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag. It will span five districts—Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli—bringing them closer to the rest of the country.
The railway project is expected to cut travel time significantly, boost local economies, improve access to remote regions, and support both tourism and defense logistics in the strategic Himalayan belt.
Engineering Marvel in the Himalayas
Constructing the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line through the rugged Himalayan terrain is a monumental engineering challenge. The project includes 16 main tunnels stretching 104 km, 12 escape tunnels spanning 97.72 km, and 7.05 km of cross passages—adding up to an astounding 213.57 km of tunnelling. Of this, 195 km has already been completed.
Tunnel No. 8 represents a breakthrough not just in scale but also in technology. It marks the Indian Railways’ first successful deployment of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in the Himalayan region. The TBM completed 10.4 km of the tunnel, while the remaining portion was excavated using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
The work was far from easy. Engineers faced weak rock formations, overburden of up to 800 meters, and challenging geological conditions. In some sections, water inflows reached up to 2,000 litres per minute, further complicating the excavation process.
Supporting Infrastructure
Beyond tunnels, the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag project includes extensive bridge work. Nineteen major bridges, five important ones, and 38 minor bridges are part of the blueprint. Major bridge structures over the Chandrabhaga and Alaknanda rivers have already been completed. Supporting road infrastructure, including a road overbridge (ROB), road underbridge (RUB), and three major road bridges, has also been built to facilitate access and construction.
The Road Ahead
The Virbhadra–Yog Nagari Rishikesh section of the rail line was commissioned in March 2020. With the successful breakthrough of Tunnel No. 8, the project enters a new phase. The remaining tunnel works are scheduled for completion by 2026–27, after which track laying, electrification, and signalling will begin.
Once operational, the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is expected to redefine connectivity in Uttarakhand, while also standing as a testament to India’s growing engineering prowess in extreme terrains.
IT
