This is the fourth tunnel on the Banihal-Katra road.

In January this year, the 12.75 km long T-49 tunnel was completed.

New Delhi:

Indian Railways on Thursday completed the construction of an escape tunnel on the 111 km under-construction Banihal-Katra section of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The 12.89 kilometer long tunnel is the longest "escape tunnel" in India.

Important information related to the case:

  • A major milestone has been achieved by connecting Escape Tunnel T-49 between Sumber and Khari stations on Katra-Banihal section of USBRL project on 15 December 2022.

    The length of the escape tunnel is 12.895 km.

    This is the longest escape tunnel in India and the line and level of the tunnel is precisely achieved while connecting the escape tunnels. 

  • This is the fourth tunnel on the Banihal-Katra road.

    In January this year, the 12.75 km long T-49 tunnel was completed.

    It has been constructed by the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), a modern technology of drill and blast processes.

  • According to a government release, the horseshoe-shaped escape tunnel connects the Sumber station yard and tunnel T-50 on the south side.

    In Sumber, the height of the south end is about 1400.5 meters and the height of the northern end is 1558.84 meters.

  • Tunnel T-49 is a twin tube tunnel, consisting of a main tunnel (12.75 km) and an escape tunnel (12.895 km), connected by 33 cross-passages at each cross passage.

    The main tunnel mining was already completed and the work on the final phase is going on at a fast pace.

  • The tunnel has been constructed as per international standards, with provision for escape tunnel to facilitate rescue and restoration operations in case of emergency


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