Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Line By 2029 To Make Kedarnath, Badrinath Pilgrimage Easier

The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line project in Uttarakhand is expected to be completed by 2029, with the first trial run between Shivpuri and Byasi scheduled for June 2028. This is a highly ambitious project - beyond boosting tourism in Uttarakhand and facilitating easier pilgrimages to the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines, it will accelerate development in the state's mountainous regions. Crucially, it will enable the rapid and easy transport of supplies and essential items to troops stationed along the India-Tibet-China border.

Spanning approximately 125 kilometres, the project will reduce the travel distance between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag to 125 km by rail, compared to the current 173 km by road. While completion is anticipated by 2029, the initial trial run is set for June 2028 on the Shivpuri-Byasi stretch. This line promises to be a milestone in Uttarakhand's development; the idea of trains traversing the state's rugged mountains, once considered unlikely, is now becoming a reality, a vision initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he laid the project's foundation stone. The project features approximately 16 tunnels, with 85% of the route, totalling 105 kilometres, passing through tunnels and over bridges; in total, around 35 bridges are being constructed.

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The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag project includes the construction of 12 new railway stations. For Uttarakhand, this serves as a cornerstone of development, while the expansion of rail connectivity in India's border regions also stands as a testament to the nation's rapid progress. This rail line project will not only make pilgrimages to renowned shrines like Badrinath and Kedarnath easier but will also strengthen India's border security by extending the rail network toward the India-Tibet-China border.

In Uttarakhand, stations such as Dehradun, Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Ramnagar, and Kathgodam mark the points where the mountainous terrain begins; while the British developed rail connectivity up to these locations, the tracks could not extend further. However, work on a rail line project extending into the mountainous region beyond Rishikesh is now progressing rapidly.

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This is a historic initiative aimed at connecting rugged hilly areas to the national rail network, with a focus on creating a safe and sustainable infrastructure while maintaining environmental balance. Rapid and precise excavation is being carried out using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs). State-of-the-art facilities, such as sufficient width for a double rail line, modern drainage systems, ventilation shafts, and escape passages, are being developed within the tunnels.

O.P. Malgudi, Deputy General Manager of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line project, stated that the project is scheduled for completion in 2029, with the first railway trial run planned for June 2028. He noted that 75 per cent of the work has already been completed. Malgudi further explained that the project involves approximately 16 tunnels, ranging from the shortest at 200 meters to the longest at 14.58 kilometres; the latter is being constructed between Devprayag and Janasu.