72.5% work completed on Rishikesh–Karnprayag rail project

Dehradun: Work on the 126-km Rishikesh–Karnprayag rail line has reached 72.5% completion, with 95.3% of tunnelling finished, informed officials during a review meeting chaired by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday. A total of 28 tunnels are being constructed under this project, including 16 main tunnels and 12 escape tunnels.Dhami directed officials to ensure that future rail projects in the state include escape tunnels alongside main tunnels to serve as parallel evacuation routes during emergencies. "An action plan should be prepared on how the escape tunnels built under the Rishikesh–Karnprayag project can be utilised in the future," he said. He also asked officials to examine the feasibility of extending the line from Karnprayag to Bageshwar.Officials said railway stations along the route are being developed around distinct themes: Shivpuri (Neelkanth Mahadev), Byasi (Maharishi Ved Vyas), Devprayag (Samudra Manthan), Janasu (Uttarakhand culture), Maletha (Veer Madho Singh Bhandari), Srinagar (Maa Raj Rajeshwari Devi), Dhari Devi (Maa Dhari Devi), Tilani (Kedarnath), Gholtir (Panch Mahadev), Gauchar (Bal Govind Krishna), and Karnprayag (Badrinath Temple and Radha Krishna).On the proposed Tanakpur–Bageshwar rail line, officials said Indian Railways has suggested three survey options and plans are also being explored to link alternative routes and connect Almora and Someshwar to the proposed corridor.Dhami directed officials to expedite work on the Tanakpur–Bageshwar project and consider multiple route options to maximise coverage and public benefit. He added that the state would urge the Centre to declare it a national project to speed up its execution.