Rlys achieve major tunnelling breakthroughs in Eastern Ghats

Koraput: East Coast Railway has achieved a significant milestone in infrastructure development by successfully breaking through five tunnels during the 2025–26 financial year across the challenging terrain of the Eastern Ghats.

The latest breakthrough came on April 14 with Tunnel No. 30 (1,043m) in the Sikarpai-Keutguda section of the Koraput-Singapur road doubling project. Officials said the tunnel, constructed along a difficult 5-degree curve, was excavated simultaneously from both ends and achieved “100 per cent alignment accuracy”.

An official release said, “This reflects exceptional engineering precision, advanced surveying techniques and meticulous execution under difficult geological conditions.”

The railway zone reported major progress in the Khurda Road-Balangir new line project. Tunnel T-4 (4,185m), the longest on the route, and Tunnel T-2 (1,775m), were completed, accounting for nearly 6 km of tunnelling through hilly terrain.

“In addition, Tunnel T-5 and T-6 (250 metres each) were completed in July 2025, followed by Tunnel T-7 (1,975 meters) in Nov 2025, marking substantial advancement in finishing works,” it added.

In total, 7,051m of tunnels were broken through during the year, while 2,475m were completed with lining and related works. Further progress was recorded in key doubling sections, including the Koraput–Rayagada and Koraput–Singapur Road corridors.

“These achievements are critical for the timely completion of key railway projects that will significantly enhance connectivity between coastal and western Odisha,” the release said. “They will improve capacity on vital freight and passenger corridors and bring remote and tribal regions closer to mainstream economic activity.”