India’s transport infrastructure, engineering major Larsen & Toubro has completed the breakthrough of the country’s longest railway tunnel—an extraordinary 14.57-kilometre engineering marvel on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail corridor in Uttarakhand.
Executed under the aegis of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, Tunnel No. 8 connects Devprayag and Janasu, cutting through some of the most complex and treacherous Himalayan terrain ever tackled by Indian rail engineering. This breakthrough has been made possible by the deployment of a state-of-the-art Single-Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named Shakti, measuring 9.11 metres in diameter, making it the largest of its kind used in the Himalayan belt. The machine carved through 10.4 kilometres of tunnel at an impressive average pace of 413 metres per month. The remaining 4.11 kilometres were completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method, which allows for intricate excavation in geologically sensitive zones. This technical synergy reflects the unprecedented scale and complexity of the undertaking, combining mechanical innovation with adaptive construction strategy.
The project is part of the 125-kilometre Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Line, a strategic initiative aimed at linking remote Himalayan districts including Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag. Once operational, this corridor will reduce travel time from seven hours to just two, catalysing both the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit and year-round tourism. Moreover, the enhanced access is expected to boost local economies, facilitate emergency response, and reduce the carbon footprint from road traffic along environmentally fragile hill routes.
The tunnel’s completion is poised to act as a transformative intervention for communities in isolated areas, opening new avenues for development and financial inclusion. For Larsen & Toubro, this milestone not only reinforces its reputation in civil engineering excellence but also sets a new benchmark for sustainable infrastructure delivery in high-altitude, high-risk zones. A senior executive from the firm’s infrastructure division remarked that the successful completion of this difficult project is a result of technical precision, innovation, and strong coordination with the public sector, reinforcing a national vision of robust regional connectivity.
L&T is executing both Package 2 and Package 4 of the project, which includes extensive tunnel works, bridge construction, and complementary civil infrastructure. Package 4 covers India’s longest twin railway tunnels—14.5 kilometres in the upline and 13.1 kilometres in the downline. Package 2 involves approximately 27 kilometres of tunnelling, 28 kilometres of tunnel lining, as well as the construction of railway and road bridges and embankments. This integrated development approach underscores the project’s significance in reshaping mobility across the region.
Beyond its engineering scale, the project symbolises progress toward sustainable and resilient Himalayan mobility. Built with precision and environmental sensitivity, the tunnel showcases how green infrastructure can respond to the urgent needs of regional development while mitigating ecological disruption. As climate vulnerability intensifies across India’s hill states, such projects offer a forward-looking template for inclusive growth, strategic connectivity, and ecological responsibility.
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Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Tunnel Breakthrough Marks Himalayan Infrastructure Transformation
