A view of the 11 kilometer long railway tunnel connecting Kashmir with Jammu division.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: As the entire country eagerly awaits the dream project of Indian Railways to connect Kashmir with Kanyakumari, a huge technical challenge at Tunnel 1 near Katra in Reasi district of Jammu region has surfaced which may delay the project until the year end.
Last year, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that Udhampur-Banihal track, connecting Jammu with Srinagar, will be completed by December 2023, or early 2024.
However, spanning 3.2 kilometers, Tunnel 1, a labyrinthine passage carved through unforgiving terrain, came up as a big hindrance as the engineers have to overcome several technical as well as geological issues.
Sources said that after overcoming the biggest challenge – the construction of 359-meter tall bridge, which is the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge, over river Chenab connecting Bakkal and Kauri villages of Reasi district, Tunnel 1 is giving tough time to the construction agency.
“There was a time when engineers thought of giving up the work on the tunnel but with the use of advanced technology, boring was completed by overcoming all the hurdles. Now, the heading and benching work is undergoing,” they said, adding once the heading and benching work is completed, laying of track will be done.
The tunnel may take another six to seven months to get completed which could further delay the completion of the ambitious Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project until at least the year end.
The USBRL project stretching over 272 km in length, features 38 tunnels, with the longest being T-49 at 12.75 km, which is India's longest transportation tunnel.
Once operational, the direct train service will reduce travel time between Srinagar and Jammu from seven hours to a mere 3.5 hours, which will provide a substantial relief to commuters.