India's longest transportation tunnel is now open on Indian Railways USBRL rail link in J&K - top facts

India’s longest transportation tunnel is now open on Indian Railways USBRL rail link in J&K – top facts

India’s longest transportation railway tunnel is now open! Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the longest transportation tunnel in the country, as he launched the first electrified trains in the Kashmir valley on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).

Additionally, he also unveiled the 48.1-km-long Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section. As per the Northern Railway (NR), trains can now operate from Baramulla to Sangaldan via Banihal, a route that previously served as the last or originating station.

India’s longest railway tunnel: All you want to know

1. The 12.77 km-long tunnel, known as T-50, situated in the Khari-Sumber section, is the most challenging among the 11 tunnels in the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangadal section.
2. This tunnel enables trains to operate seamlessly from Baramulla to Sangaldan via Banihal, a route previously unavailable.
3. Construction on the T-50 tunnel commenced in 1996, with the tender awarded in December 2013. After almost a decade, it is now fully operational.
4. Safety measures within the tunnel include the creation of an escape tunnel alongside T-50, equipped with connecting passages every 375 meters for passenger evacuation during emergencies. Similar escape tunnels have been constructed for other major tunnels as well, ensuring comprehensive safety measures throughout the railway network.
5. For fire safety, water pipes have been installed on both sides of the tunnel, with valves placed every 375 meters to spray water onto a train in case of a fire incident.

About Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section of USBRL project

The Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section, stretching across 48.1 kilometers, constitutes a significant portion of the Katra-Banihal route.

• Constructed at a cost of Rs 15,863 crore, this segment is now fully operational, extending the existing train services from Baramulla to Banihal up to Sangaldan, located near the district headquarters of Ramban. It encompasses a total of 16 bridges, comprising 11 major bridges, 4 minor bridges, and 1 Road Over Bridge (ROB).
• More than 90% of this section comprises tunnels, with a total of 11 tunnels spanning 43.37 kilometers, including the country’s longest transportation tunnel, T-50, stretching 12.77 kilometers in the Khari-Sumber section. To ensure safety and facilitate rescue operations, there are three escape tunnels with a combined length of 30.1 kilometers. Additionally, the section features 30 curves covering 23.72 kilometers.
• Incorporating advanced features to enhance passenger safety and comfort, the section includes ballastless track and canted turnouts, marking a first for Indian Railways.
• It also adopts standard II(R) interlocking MACLS and LED signals, Centralized Electronic Interlocking, block working with UFSBI (Universal Fail Safe Block Instrument) & HASSDAC (High Availability Single section Digital Axle Counter), CCTV monitoring, and state-of-the-art tunnel safety technology such as ventilation, firefighting systems, and SCADA (Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition), states Northern Railway.
• All station yards on this section extend either onto bridges or into tunnels.

About Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project

Northern Railway officials state that the inauguration of the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section marks a significant stride towards realizing the vision of running a train from the northern Kashmir valley to the southern tip of the country, Kanyakumari.

The Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project represents one of the most ambitious railway initiatives undertaken in post-Independence India, particularly in the challenging terrain of the Pir Panjal ranges. Its overarching goal is to establish a robust, all-weather, and economically viable transportation network, connecting remote Himalayan areas with the rest of the country.

The USBRL Project aims to seamlessly integrate the Kashmir Valley with the Jammu region and the national rail network. An official from NR highlighted that upon the full completion of the USBRL in the upcoming months, passengers will witness remarkable infrastructure achievements, including the Chenab bridge, acclaimed as the highest railway bridge globally, and the Anji bridge, recognized as the first cable-stayed bridge of the Indian Railways. The total length of the USBRL spans 272 kilometers, with the project costing Rs 41,119 crore.

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