Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Feb 17: Work on India’s second largest tunnel under Udhampur-Baramulla-Srinagar railway project in Jammu and Kashmir begins even as logistic operation for the tunneling is still going on in full swing.
Men and machinery have reached the site while the excavation work on 10.2 kilometer long tunnel from Dharamkund near Sangaldhan to Sumbarh in Ramban district on the Udhampur-Srinagar railway project has begun, authoritative sources informed the Excelsior.
The work is all set to gain pace in next few days and the tunnel will be completed in 60 months, sources added.
Rs 884 crore worth project for this tunnel (T48) has been awarded to Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) Limited, India’s leading infrastructure company, which is also building the Pir Panjal tunnel between Banihal and Qazigund on the rail line.
HCC received the order for construction of T48 tunnel in December 2012. It is a repeat order to HCC awarded by IRCON International Limited, which is engaged in constructing the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line.
This will be the second largest tunnel in India. It follows the 10.96 km long Pir Panjal Tunnel between Qazigund and Banihal, which has almost been completed with a successful trial run of the engine on the track in last month.
According to the sources, soon after the work was allotted to the company in December last, HCC Ltd started the logistic operation. It took more than a month and after the men and machinery reached the site, work on excavation of the tunnel was started, sources added.
The excavation and other allied works are likely to gain pace in next few days as more men and machinery are reaching the site, sources informed adding that the construction company was confident of completing the project within the stipulated time of 60 months.
The tunnel (T48) is part of the ambitious Udhampur – Srinagar – Baramulla rail link project of Northern Railways. It is India’s second largest tunnel after Pir Panjal tunnel between Qazigund and Banihal. The 10.96km long Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel is India’s longest and Asia’s 2nd longest tunnel. It reduces the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal to only 11 km.
Pertinent to mention that Jammu-Srinagar rail route includes many bridges and tunnels. All tunnels are to be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik Mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section.
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