1st phase of Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line to be completed by 2026: Dhami

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The first phase of the long-awaited Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project will be completed by the end of 2026, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Saturday after visiting the project site at Karnaparayag-Simai.

A tunnel is being made as part of the project at Karnaprayag-Simai.

"It is a unique project. You can see how difficult it is to make tunnels in the hills. However, work is progressing at a fast pace. By the end of 2026, the first phase of the project will be operational," Dhami told reporters in Karnaprayag.

It will prove to be a milestone in the development of Uttarakhand, he said.

Dhami was in Karnaprayag to garner support for BJP candidates in the forthcoming urban local body polls slated for January 23.

Once the rail project is completed, the journey to the mountains will become easier and tourism will get a big boost, he said.

It will make the pilgrimage to Chardham extremely convenient, besides opening up new employment and self-employment avenues, Dhami said. Through the gift of the Rishikesh Karnaprayag rail line, the prime minister has shown his special love for Uttarakhand, he said.

Project officials informed the chief minister that the length of the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project is 125 km.

Sixteen tunnels and 12 stations are being built as part of it.

A target has been set to complete most of the work of this project by December 2026. A railway station of Karnaprayag is being built in Sewai.

The breakthrough of a 6.3 km escape tunnel from Bhattnagar of Gauchar to Sewai took place on December 25 and that of the 6.2 km main tunnel will be made by March this year, the officials said.

Now, only 695 metres of work on the main tunnel remains, they said. Railway project officials said that work on a road bridge and a rail bridge is also in progress under the project at Sewai.