Bengaluru, April 21, 2025: Larsen & Toubro has achieved the breakthrough in India’s longest railway tunnel – the 14.57 km Tunnel No. 8 – on the 125-km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Tunnel No. 8 stretches between Devprayag and Janasu in Uttarakhand.
The breakthrough was achieved using a state-of-the-art Single-Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named Shakti, of 9.11m diameter, which is also the largest TBM to be deployed in the Himalayan region.
Excavating at an average rate of 413 meters per month, 10.4 km of the tunnel was completed with TBM. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) was used to complete the remaining 4.11 km of the tunnel.
Celebrating the milestone, Union Railway Minister Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Mr Pushkar Singh Dhami, described the achievement as “a testament to India’s engineering strength and the commitment to enhancing railway infrastructure in even the most difficult terrains.”
Chief Minister Mr Dhami highlighted the tunnel’s potential to revolutionise Uttarakhand’s socio economic landscape by enhancing connectivity to remote areas, boosting tourism and economic growth.
“This significant breakthrough in one of the most challenging terrains, reflects our commitment and strong collaboration between our client RVNL,” said Mr S V Desai, Whole- Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Civil Infrastructure), L&T. “This milestone fosters a deep sense of collective achievement within our team, proving that with dedication and innovation, no challenge is insurmountable.”
L&T’s role in RVNL’s 125-km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Line project which connects Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag across five Himalayan districts, cutting travel time from seven hours to two and supporting the Char Dham Yatra, covers Packages 2 and 4.
In Package 4, L&T is building India’s longest railway tunnel (14.5-km upline, 13.1-km downline). Package 2 includes 26.6 km of tunnel excavation, 28 km of tunnel lining, two railway bridges, one road bridge, and embankments.
