One of the longest railway tunnels in the country will come up in the northeast and it will connect Imphal with Guwahati. The Indian Railways is constructing a new rail route that will run from Jiribam to Imphal. This route will have a length of around 111 kilometres. Around 62 kilometres of this route will pass through the tunnel that will come under the mountains. Reportedly, around 70% of the construction of the route is already complete. The government is planning to start operations on this route by 2023. Read on to know more.
Also Read: 7 Most Scenic Train Journeys In India You Should Take At Least Once
The Rail Route Passing Through The Tunnel Will Have 10 Stations
The railway route will have a total of 10 stations. The National Capital Connectivity is supervising the work on the route. According to a News18 report, Chief Engineer Rail Project, Sandeep Sharma said, “The 70.3km stretch has been completed, and the remaining work will also be completed soon. The biggest challenge was to make a tunnel under the 65-meter mountain of soil.” He added that the team is carrying out the construction work with safety and caution. He also said the longest tunnel in India is in the Pir Panjal range.
Also Read: Luxury Vistadome Trains With 360-Degree Views Launched In Bengal & Assam
The Tunnel Construction Under Mountains Involved Oodles Of Challenges
The construction of this tunnel under the cragged mountains of the northeast involved a lot of challenges. In Sharma’s words, there were chances of mishaps. The risk of soil collapse was also there. But defying all these challenges, the construction team has completed building 70% of the stretch. Another tunnel is under construction in Arunachal Pradesh now, which will be the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world. Known as the Sela Tunnel, it will be perched at a height of over 13000 feet. It is supposed to be completed by around July 2022.