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INDIAN RAILWAYS USBRL: INDIA’S LONGEST T-49 is situated in picturesque Sumber Village at 45 kilometres
TRANSPORTATION TUNNEL T49 BETWEEN KATRA-BANIHAL distance from District H.Q. Ramban at 1400 meters altitude, while
ACHIEVES BREAKTHROUGH the tunnel’s North Portal is located near Arpinchala village Tehsil
Out of 272 Kilometres length of Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Khari, in the district of Ramban, in Mahu-Mangat Valley at around INFRASTRUCTURE
Rail Link, 161 Kilometres has been already commissioned and 1600 meters altitude. The tunnel T-49 is having two tubes, one is
operationalized. According to Northern Railways, the work of the main tunnel and the other is the escape tunnel.
the intervening stretch of 111 Kilometres between Katra-Banihal The tunnel has been built using the New Austrian Tunneling Method
is progressing at a fast pace. The Katra-Banihal section of the (NATM), which is a modern technique of drill and blast method.
Indian Railways network is traversing through hilly terrain of lower The tunnel’s cross section profile is modified horse shoe shaped.
Himalaya’s, in which one of the major challenges is Geology. The In a bid to facilitate construction, three adits namely Hingni Adit,
section has several major bridges and very long tunnels which are Urnihal Adit and Kundan Adit have been constructed as well. The
currently under construction at different stages. A major milestone tunnel has a ruling gradient of 1 in 80 as well as designed speed
has been achieved on 15 February 2022 by executing break- of 100 Km per hour. According to International Standards, the
through of Tunnel T-49 between Sumber and Arpinchala station Escape Tunnel being developed parallel to the Main Tunnel is
on ongoing Katra-Banihal stretch. linked by cross passages at an interval of 375 metres to facilitate
A major milestone has been achieved on 15 February 2022 by rescue and restoration work.
executing break-through of Tunnel T-49 between
Sumber and Arpinchala station on ongoing Katra-
Banihal stretch.
The national transporter said the line and level of
the tunnel are precisely achieved in break-through.
The tunnel T49 is of length 12.758 Kilometres and
it is going to be the longest tunnel of the Indian
Railways surpassing the Peer Panjal Tunnel of 11.2
Kilometres length constructed on the Banihal-
Qazigund section by USBRL. The south portal of

MUMBAI-AHMEDABAD BULLET TRAIN: DARSHANA km stretch. In the state of Maharashtra, 62 per cent land has
JARDOSH INSPECTS HIGH-SPEED RAIL CONSTRUCTION been acquired.
BETWEEN SURAT-VAPI • The works on Foundations, Piles, Piers, Pier Caps, casting and
Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh recently inspected erection of Girders for Viaduct and Stations have started all
the work of India’s first Bullet Train, Mumbai – Ahmedabad High along the alignment passing through eight districts of Gujarat.
Speed Rail at project site between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat. • Out of 352 kilometres, Geotechnical Investigation work in 325
Jardosh started the visit with Casting yard at Ch. 243 in village km length has been completed.
Padgah, located in the district of Navsari, for inspection for • For Geotechnical Investigation, the largest Geotechnical Lab
preparatory works of girder casting planned for castings including of Asia has been developed at Surat.
Casting of Pile cap at Ch. 242 P42 and P23. The next stop was • Construction work of Piles, Pile Caps, Well Foundations, Open
Casting yard at Ch. 238 (Village Nasilpore, located in District Foundations, Pier Caps, Piers is currently in progress in 110
Navsari) where the minister witnessed display of heavy equipment kilometres length.
such as straddle carrier of capacity 1100 T as well as bridge • Out of 352 kilometres, Piling has been completed in 81
gantries. kilometres length, Foundation has been completed in
Jardosh also visited other casting yards which included Casting 30 kilometres length and Pier has been completed in 20
Yards at Ch. 232 (Village Kachchol located in the District of Navsari) kilometres length.
witnessing casting of full span girder, automatic cutting of steel
and Ring/stirrup making plant, operation of ready-made steel plant
(RMS) Plant, and inspection of viaduct piers from Ch. 197 to 195 in
village Pathri located the District Valsad. In the end, the minister
visited the site of Daman Ganga river where the foundation of
the river bridge was taking place. Some of the salient points of
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail construction activity are
as follows:
• In the state of Gujarat (352 kilometres), 100 per cent Civil
Tenders have been awarded to Indian Contractors.
• 98.6 per cent land has been acquired and work of civil
construction has started in the entire 352 kilometre length.
• In the state of Gujarat, 98.6 per cent land has been acquired
and work of civil construction has started in the entire 352

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