Indian Railways: USBRL achieves tunnel breakthrough for longest tunnel T49 in Katra-Banihal section
भारतीय रेलवे की सबसे बड़ी सफलता…. देश की सबसे लंबी रेलवे सुरंग को खोदने का काम पूरा कर लिया गया है… जी हां जम्मू कश्मीर के कटरा से बनिहाल के बीच में रेल लाइन बिछाने के प्रोजेक्ट में इस सुरंग का महत्वपूर्ण रोल है इस सुरंग को रेलवे के इंजीनियर T49 सुरंग के नाम से जानते हैं कटरा से बनिहाल के बीच में 111 किलोमीटर लंबे रेल मार्ग के रास्ते में हिमालय पर्वत की ऊंची श्रंखला मौजूद है इस वजह से यहां का ज्यादातर रास्ता रेलवे सुरंग के जरिए ही पूरा किया जाएगा
T49 रेल सुरंग को देश की सबसे लंबी रेल सुरंग का दर्जा प्राप्त हो गया है अब सुरंग में आर पार आवाजाही संभव हो गई है पीर पंजाल की पहाड़ियों में बनाई गई इस सुरंग की लंबाई 12 किलोमीटर 758 मीटर है यह रेल सुरंग अब देश की सबसे लंबी सुरंग का दर्जा प्राप्त कर चुकी है इससे पहले बनिहाल काजीगुंड रेल सेक्शन पर पीर पंजाल टनल जिसकी लंबाई 11.2 किलोमीटर है को देश की सबसे बड़ी सुरंग का दर्जा प्राप्त था
Out of 272 Km length of Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) Project, 161 Km has already been commissioned and operationalized. The work of intervening stretch of 111 Km between Katra Banihal is under progress at rapid pace. Katra-Banihal Section is traversing through hilly terrain of lower Himalaya’s, in which Geology is a major challenge. It has several major bridges and very long tunnels which are under construction at different stages.
On Feb 15 a major milestone has been achieved by executing break-through of Tunnel T49 between Sumber and Arpinchala Station on ongoing Katra-Banihal Section. It is worthwhile to mention that line and level of the tunnel is precisely achieved in break-through. T49 is a tunnel of length 12.758 Km long and it is going to be longest tunnel of Indian Railway surpassing Peer Panjal Tunnel of 11.2 Km length constructed by USBRL on Banihal-Qazigund section. The south portal (SP) of Tunnel T-49 is located in picturesque Sumber Village at a distance of 45 km from District H.Q. Ramban of (Jammu & Kashmir) at an altitude of 1400 meters, while the North Portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near Arpinchala village Tehsil Khari, District Ramban, in Mahu-Mangat Valley at an altitude of 1600 meters approx.
T-49 tunnel is having two tubes, i.e. one is main tunnel and other being escape tunnel. The tunnel has been constructed by NATM (i.e. New Austrian Tunneling Method), which is a modern technique of drill and blast method. The Cross section profile of the tunnel is modified horse shoe shaped. This tunnel length is very long. In order to facilitate construction, three adits namely Urnihal Adit, Hingni Adit and Kundan Adit have also been constructed. The tunnel has a ruling gradient 1 in 80 and designed speed of 100 Kmph. As per International standards, the Escape Tunnel being constructed parallel to the Main Tunnel is connected by cross passages at an interval of 375m to facilitate rescue and restoration work.
The work of construction was entrusted by NR to M/s IRCON International Ltd. which has assigned works in two packages to M/s HCC and M/s AFCONS. M/s. HCC is executing the work of 5.1 Km length from South Portal and M/s AFCONS is executing the length of 7.658 Km from North Portal. Several Challenges were encountered in the course of construction such as shear zone, perched aquifer, and highly jointed rock mass, rock problems of squeezing and high ingress of water. The team of experienced engineers of Northern Railway, M/s IRCON and the executing agencies M/s HCC & M/s AFCONS successfully negotiated all challenges and made possible to achieve this major breakthrough. During construction activities of the tunnel local population was employed by agencies for various works, in the region which has changed the overall socio economic landscape.
Break-through has been achieved on 15.02.2022, in the presence of A.K. Khandelwal CAO/USBRL along with NR team, IRCON Officers, Officers of M/s. HCC and M/s. AFCONS.
