Afcons has achieved a major milestone on the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project with a breakthrough in the T49 tunnel between Sumber and Arpinchala stations on the ongoing Katra-Banihal section.
With a total length of 12.75 kilometers, the T49 tunnel will be the longest tunnel on Indian Railways. The south entrance of the T49 tunnel is at the village of Sumber at an altitude of 1400 meters, while the north entrance of the tunnel is near the village of Arpinchala at an altitude of 1600 meters.
When constructing the tunnel from the north entrance, Afcons engineers excavated 4.07 kilometers from a single tunnel. “This is the most critical and longest length an agency has performed from a single ear. No other agency in the entire USBRL project has excavated such a long distance from a single stage,” said Chandra Shekhar Dixit, Project Manager at Afcons.
Amid the challenges of working in extremely cold conditions, the team faced another major hurdle. There is an influx of 40-50 liters per second, which makes propulsion extremely difficult. “As we work on slopes, we have to consume an average of almost 200,000 kWh units per month. The water inrush is due to the many aquifers and open channels crossing the tunnel route,” added the project manager.
Excavation work began in 2015 in extremely poor geological conditions. The original perimeter was later modified to accommodate an additional 3.6 km (2.2 mi) of escape tunnels, which involved a change in orientation. The entire project was completed within the planned time.
Complete news Source : NBM&CW