India's longest railway tunnel excavated in J-K
The Kashmir rail link project took a significant leap today with the completion of excavation work of a 11km-long tunnel, the longest in the country, underneath the rugged Pir Panjal mountains.
The Pir Panjal tunnel, which constitutes a vital link between Udhampur and Qazigund of the national project, runs below the existing Jawahar road tunnel and promises to reduce the travelling distance between Banihal and Qazigund from 35 km to only 11 km.
"It is one of the modern tunnels of the world, which also has provision for a 10-feet wide parallel road running adjacent to the rail track for carrying out rescue work," said Member (Engineering), Railway Board, A P Mishra this afternoon.
Given its length, proper ventilation has been provided and measures will be taken to provide mobile connectivity for seamless communication even while travelling through it, he said, adding the entire tunneling work will be completed within six to seven months.
Considered a major engineering achievement for railways, the tunnel, which is the second longest tunnel in Asia after China's Wushaoling tunnel (20 km) in Gansu, was executed by Hindustan Construction Company at a cost running close to Rs 1,100 crore.
"In other words, Rs 100 crore was spent for constructing a km of the tunnel," Mishra said.
The total excavated quantity from the tunnel is equal to a mountain, said officials of the construction firm.
"There were several challenges like the unpredictable nature of the rock, the strain and ingress of water and harsh weather but we overcame them through careful planning and efficient use of technology," said project manager of the construction firm, Sharanappa Yalal. Due to the changing geological strata of the young Himalayan rock, new Austrian tunnelling methodology was adopted for construction, he said.
Ingenious technologies have also been adopted to create a membrane to ensure zero water seepage. The tunnel is also earthquake-resistant and has a life span of 100 years, he noted.
The alignment of the tunnel crosses national highway 1A at three locations, and runs just about 440 metres below the existing Jawahar road tunnel connecting the Kashmir valley to Jammu.
Mishra expressed the hope that some portions of the rail project in the Valley will be commissioned by the end of next year.
They include the stretch between Udhampur and Katra and Qazigund and Banihal.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had dedicated the first phase of the project between Jammu and Udhampur (53 km) to the nation in April 2005 while the 119 km-long Qazigund-Srinagar-Baramula stretch was commissioned in 2009.
The entire rail link running over 300 km is likely to be completed by 2017, Mishra hoped.He said during construction of the project, railways also constructed about 240 km of roads to get access to the inhospitable terrains for track laying.
"These roads will be handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir government for the use of the public and their maintenance," he said.
The Katra-Quazigund section, on which the new tunnel falls, is considered the toughest section of the entire project, comprising a series of tunnels and bridges, dotting the famed landscape that the Kashmir Valley is known for, he said.
The stretch between river Chenab and Banihal passes through a virgin territory, requiring construction of about 235 km of access roads.
Out of them, 180 km of access roads have already been completed in this section, railway officials said.
The Chenab bridge, 359 metre above river bed, will be the highest bridge in the world when completed.He said during construction of the project, railways also constructed about 240 km of roads to get access to the inhospitable terrains for track laying.
"These roads will be handed over to Jammu and Kashmir government for the use of the public and their maintenance," he said.
The Katra-Quazigund section, on which the new tunnel falls, is considered the toughest section of the entire project, comprising a series of tunnels and bridges dotting the famed landscape the Kashmir Valley is known for, he said.
The stretch between river Chenab and Banihal passes through a virgin territory, requiring construction of about 235 km of access roads.
Out of them, 180 km of access roads have already been completed in this section, railway officials said.
The Chenab bridge, 359 metre above river bed, will be the highest bridge in the world when completed.
India's longest railway tunnel opens to traffic