If everything goes as planned, going for the holy Char Dham Yatra will become more convenient than ever for pilgrims. The four pious shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, which make up the Char Dham will soon be connected by a 327 km long railway network. The line will also pass through other major towns in Uttarakhand like Dehradun, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi. Read on to know all the details.
Char Dham Railway Network To Cover Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Dehradun
It will soon be easier to cover the Char Dham Yatra by train. A 327 km long rail network is set to connect Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Apparently, the route will also cover Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri Garhwal, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi. As per a report by Financial Express, the cost of the project stands at about ₹ 43,292 crore. The foundations of this project were already laid in 2017. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took to Twitter on August 27 to announce that this line will be a “boon for devotees of Char Dham.”
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Train Routes for Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath
All the four pilgrimage sites are located at different altitudes, but the Railway Ministry has said it is gearing up to face the challenges. It will look after several aspects like limits of load, capacity, speed, and safety. According to sources, there will be two “Y” fork connections. The first one will connect Yamunotri and Gangotri from Uttarkashi. Yamunotri sits at a height of around 3293 metres above the sea level, while Gangotri rests at an altitude of nearly 3408 metres. The second will connect Kedarnath–Badrinath, located at 3583 and 3133 metres above sea level respectively, from Saikot.
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The project will also help in developing the hilly region, apart from making the Char Dham Yatra easier for people. The Char Dham Yatra commenced from July, and so far, thousands of pilgrims have visited the four sacred shrines in Uttarakhand. Speaking of Uttarakhand, here’s an enchanting glimpse of one of the biggest tulip gardens in the world.