India’s longest escape tunnel on Banihal-Katra rail link completed

Tags: State News

India's longest escape tunnel, which is 12.89 km long, built on the 111 km under-construction Banihal-Katra railway line in Jammu and Kashmir, was completed by the Indian Railways on 15 December.

Important facts

• This longest tunnel is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project.

• This is the fourth tunnel on the Banihal-Katra route following the 12.75 km tunnel T-49, the longest tunnel of the Indian Railways, which was completed in January this year.

• The escape tunnel ‘T-13’ has been constructed to facilitate rescue work in case of an emergency.

• This tunnel is a horseshoe shaped tunnel which connects Sumber station yard and tunnel T-50 on the south side after crossing bridge no.04 over Khoda Nala on the north side at Khoda village.

• Tunnel T-49 is a twin tube tunnel comprising the main tunnel (12.75 km) and escape tunnel (12.895 kms) connected with 33 cross-passages.

Longest Tunnels in India - Rail and Road Tunnels

• Atal Road Tunnel, Himachal Pradesh - Longest High-Altitude Tunnel 

Length: 8800 meters, or 5.5 miles, approximately.

Places Covered: West of the Rohtang Pass in the hilly terrain of the Pir Panjal Ranges on the highway that links Leh with Manali. 

Location: Leh – Manali Highway, beneath the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh.

• Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir

Length: 11,215 metres, or 11.22 km.

Places Covered: Begins at the northern part of the town of Banihal and comes to an end at Hillar Shahabad.

Location: Forest Block 185102, Pir Panjal Range, the Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir.

• Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Road Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir 

Length: 9280 metres, or 9.34 km.

Places Covered: Starts from Chenani in NH44 and comes to an end at Nashri.

Location: NH44 of Chenani, Jammu and Kashmir.

• Trivandrum Port Railway Tunnel, Kerala

Length: 9020 metres, or 9.02 km.

Places Covered: Balaramapuram Station, which is a part of the railway track that connects Kanyakumari to Thiruvananthapuram and comes to an end in Vizhinjam.

Location: Balaramapuram Station, Kanyakumari – Thiruvananthapuram Railway Line, Kerala

• Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir

Length: 8500 meters, or roughly 8.5 km

Places Covered: The Tunnel is between two cities of Banihal and Qazigund.

Location: Pir Panjal Range of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Sangaldan Railway Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir

Length: 8000 meters, or approximately 8 km.

Places Covered: Lahli, Baramulla, Banihal, as well as Katra.

Location: Lahli Station, under the section of the Katra – Banihal, Jammu – Baramulla Railway Line, Jammu and Kashmir.