USBRL Project likely to be completed by May 2024
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 20: With the breakthrough of 3209 meter long Tunnel T-1 between Katra and Reasi Stations, another milestone has been achieved under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project, which is nearing completion.
Excavation in this stretch of Katra-Banihal section had been a daunting challenge due to the presence of shear zone coupled with high ingress of water, which were delaying progress on the work.
With today’s achievement, now all the tunnels for rail link to Kashmir are made through under USBRL Project, which is nearing completion and likely to be accomplished in next few months, official sources told the Excelsior.
Tunnel T-1 is located at the foothills of Trikuta Hills near Katra in Reasi District and is being constructed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., for Northern Railway under the USBRL National Project.
Senior officers of the Northern Railway and Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, including Member Infrastructure Railway Board Roop Narayan Murti, CMD KRCL Sanjeev Gupta, Director R K Hegde and others were present during the breakthrough ceremony.
While elaborating about significance of the breakthrough and major hurdles faced in excavation of T-1, sources said that the Tunnel’s alignment cuts across the lesser Himalayas and is characterized by highly jointed and fractured dolomite.
“Also, a portion of about 300-350m length cuts across a major shear zone known as the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT). Due to the presence of shear zone coupled with high ingress of water, tunnel excavation in this stretch had been a daunting challenge,” explained the source.
In the beginning, the tunnelling was done adopting conventional NATM Tunnelling philosophy. However, in order to tackle the visco-elastic plastic media of Main Boundary Thrust, the tunnel excavation methodology was switched over from NATM to I – System of Tunnelling by providing deep drainage pipes, Umbrella pipe roofing, chemical grouting, face bolting, sequential excavation with multiple drift, rigid support & shotcreting etc.
“By adopting I – System of Tunnelling, the excavation of Tunnel T1 through MBT (in Heading) has been successfully completed today, thus clearing a major impediment in commissioning of the new Railway Line from Katra to Banihal,” said the sources, adding that the breakthrough of this tunnel is seen as one of the biggest achievement on this National Project in making the dream of connecting Kashmir valley with rest of India a reality.
Even as around 95 percent work on the USBRL Project has been completed and the Railway Minister has announced to connect Kashmir with rest of India through train by January 2024, sources said that it would take at least four to five months in completion of the entire project.
“As of now, still about 318m length of excavation in Benching and about 680m length of concrete lining is balance. It will be followed by track laying, electrification , signaling etc and around five to six months are required to finish the pending work,” said the sources hinting that the entire project is unlikely to be fully completed before May 2024.
However, at the same time, sources emphasized that the works are in progress round the clock at full swing to complete the balance works as early as possible while Prime Minister Office is monitoring daily progress and Railway Minister is being apprised about each and every development with regard to the ongoing works.
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