Prime Minister Dedicates Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel (The Longest Transportation
Tunnel of India) to the Nation
Historic Railway Link Established Between Kashmir Valley and Jammu Region. The 17.7 Km Rail Link Paves Way for the future Rail Connectivity of Kashmir Valley With the National Railway System.
Historic Railway Link Established Between Kashmir Valley and Jammu Region. The 17.7 Km Rail Link Paves Way for the future Rail Connectivity of Kashmir Valley With the National Railway System.
Image: indiatoday.intoday.in
The
Indian Railways added another feather in its cap with the historic milestone of
connecting Kashmir valley with the Jammu region. The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
dedicated the newly constructed
railway line between Banihal (Jammu region)-Qazigund (Kashmir valley) section
to the nation by flagging
off the first DEMU train
from Banihal through the Pir Panjal tunnel- the longest transportation tunnel
of India, from Banihal Railway station in Jammu
& Kashmir today. Chairperson,
UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Governor
of J&K, Shri N.N. Vohra, Minister
for Railways, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister of Health & Family Welfare,
Shri Ghulam Nagi Azad Chief
Minister of J&K, Shri
Omar Abdullah, and Dy.
Speaker, Vidhansabha, J&K, Shri Sartaj Madani were also present on the
occasion.
Ircon International Ltd., a PSU under the Ministry of Railways,
has been the principal executing agency for Northern Railway to execute the
work of Dharam-Qazigund Section of USBRL Project which includes
Banihal-Qazigund section and Pir Panjal Tunnel.
The Kashmir Valley railway ( Qazigund-Baramulla section)
is a 119 km long modern railway line that became completely operational in October
2009. So far it is an island railway, not yet connected to the Indian Railway
network. It connects Baramula in the western part of Kashmir to Qazigund at the other end of the Valley, via Srinagar. With today’s dedication of this challenging project
to the nation, the extension of this railway line beyond the Pir Panjal Mountains in to the Jammu region has been achieved with trains
running on the new railway section of Qazigund-Banihal. The 17.7 km long rail
link paves way for the future railway connectivity of Kashmir region with the national railway
network.
On 28th December, 2012, the first trial run
train was operated on this section of Qazigund-Banihal which is 17.7 kms long, of this 6.5 km
is on cutting and embankment including bridges. This section mostly consists of
a 11.2 km long, Tunnel T-80 which pierces through the Pir Panjal range,
providing a direct rail connection between the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. About 11,78,500 cubic meters of earthwork in cutting and
filling has been done. The maximum depth of cutting on this section is 15.20
meters and maximum height of embankment is 16.70 meters. 39 bridges have also
been constructed in this section which include two major bridges, 30 minor
bridges and 7 Road Over
Bridges/Road Under Bridges. The total expenditure of Rs. 1691.00 cr. has been
incurred by the railways to complete this section.
Tunnel
T-80 has been provided the State
of the Art systems with CCTV cameras at every 62. 5 m, linear fire detection
system, fire fighting system with fire hydrants at every 125 m, emergency
telephone with communication to control room at every 250 m, fire extinguishers
and fire alarm at every 250 m, air quality monitoring system at every 500 m,
escape route signs to guide the shortest escape route in emergency at every 50
m, emergency lighting and normal lighting and public address system. A 3.0 m
wide road along the track for rescue and maintenance purpose has been constructed
with a 772.0 m long escape tunnel to provide additional escape route. Tunnel ventilation system has
been provided which
consists of 25 fans along the tunnel, installed in the ceiling of tunnel in
groups of 5 each.
Falling in difficult and mountainous terrain,
the State of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a challenge to transportation
providers. Other factors which increase the difficulty in providing modes of
mass transportation is that the area is geologically unstable, prone to tremors
and earthquakes, with deep gorges alternating steep between rocky mountains.
For any construction activity, the weather is quite inclement too. Long months
of incessant rains and heavy snow can put life on hold for many. But there is a
positive fall out of this difficulty too. The residents of these areas have
evolved fine traditions in handicrafts in the periods of being home bound and
have made established themselves as the finest craftsmen in the world.
Northern Railway has worked in these
circumstances and has created the most modern railway line in the Kashmir Valley which provides economical, all weather
connectivity. This is something the residents appreciate, especially when other
facilities grind to a halt in deep snow. While building this railway line,
Northern Railway did not only have to cope with the difficult terrain, geology
and the weather. Since it was found to be imperative to complete this railway
line at the earliest, construction was started simultaneously at different
sites and as the stretch in the Kashmir valley rail link was completed before
the rail link which would connect it to the remaining Indian Railway network,
all rolling stock and other equipments required for construction and running of
trains was transported by road and reassembled once it had reached there. But
the result is gratifying.
On commissioning of this section, the first rail link will be
established between the Jammu Region and Kashmir Valley providing all weather connectivity
with significantly reduced travel time through the Pir Panjal mountains. This
will be an alternative connection between the two regions for the Jawahar
Tunnel too, which is often snow bound during the winter months. With this
section the distance between Banihal-Qazigund section has been reduced to 17.7 kms
by railway line instead of 35 kms long road length.
With
the completion of this section the Kashmir Valley has
come a step closer to being connected to the remaining Indian Railway network,
signifying the dedication and resolution of Northern Railway in providing rail
connectivity to the farthest corners in its jurisdiction.
Source : www.pib.nic.in
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