New Delhi, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a Navratna public sector undertaking under the Railway Ministry, will complete the 125-km-long Rishikesh–Karnaprayag rail line by 2028, Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, has said.
Sanctioned in 2016 to provide rail connectivity to Uttarakhand, the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag rail line is one of the most ambitious projects of Indian Railways, featuring the country’s longest transportation tunnel at 14.58 km.
The Railway Ministry awarded the first work of the project to RVNL in 2020 after completion of land acquisition and forest clearances.
As per the earlier schedule announced in April 2025 by Pradeep Gaur, the then CMD of RVNL, the entire project was to be commissioned in December 2026.
While addressing officials at the recently concluded 21st Annual Day event of the company, Kumar said that RVNL has been given a target to complete the project by 2028.
“It will be a boon for Uttarakhand,” Kumar said, while lauding RVNL’s commitment.
He also appreciated RVNL’s strong systems, governance, and consistent excellence, emphasising the need for continued focus on faster execution, adoption of new technologies, and the highest standards of safety and quality.
Recently, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while providing an update in Parliament on March 18, 2026, stated that the project alignment predominantly passes through tunnels.
“The project involves the construction of 16 mainline tunnels of 104 km length, and 12 escape tunnels of about 98 km length. So far, mainline tunnels of 99 km length and 09 Escape Tunnels of over 94 km length have been completed,” Vaishnaw said.
He added, “To increase the progress of works, 8 Adits in various tunnels were also identified. These adits created additional work faces of tunnel excavation, expediting early completion of long tunnels. Works of all 8 Adits have also been completed.”
Updating on bridge work, he said, “The project also involves construction of 19 Important/Major Bridges. 8 out of 19 Important/Major Bridges have also been completed. Works on balance bridges have also been taken up.”
The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag project alignment passes through Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudrapryag and Chamoli Districts of Uttarakhand and will provide rail connectivity to Devprayag and Karnaprayag religious and tourist spots with Rishikesh and Delhi.
On the question of completion deadline, Vaishnaw informed the Parliament on February 11, 2026, that the completion of railway project/s depends on various factors, which include land acquisition, forest clearance, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of the area, among others.
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