In a significant development, a 3,943-meter-long tunnel (No. T-06) of the Sevoke-Rangpo Rail Project (SRRP), located in Kalimpong district of West Bengal, achieved a breakthrough on Tuesday, according to a senior railway official.

The SRRP comprises 14 tunnels. With the breakthrough of tunnel T-06, mining activities have now been successfully completed in 12 of these tunnels, stated Sabyasachi De, chief public relations officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway.

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The main tunnel T-06, which spans 3,943 meters, also includes an “evacuation tunnel” measuring 577 meters. This tunnel is situated near the NHPC Teesta Low Dam Power Station III in Kalimpong district,. The tunnel passes through geologically and seismically challenging conditions of the “younger himalayas”.

To address the vulnerability of the ground mass, the new austrian tunnelling method (NATM), one of the latest and most sophisticated tunnelling technologies, has been employed. As of now, 66 per cent of the work on the Sevoke-Rangpo new rail line project has been completed, Mr De said.

The Sevoke-Rangpo rail link project, which will connect Sevoke in West Bengal with Rangpo in Sikkim, spans approximately 44.96 kilometers. The project is characterised by 14 tunnels, 13 major bridges, nine minor bridges and five stations. The longest tunnel (T-10) is 5.3-km long, and the longest bridge (Br-17) measures 425 meters. Around 38.65 km of the project’s alignment passes through tunnels.

Mr De further mentioned that 93.5 per cent of the tunnelling work has already been completed.

Currently, final lining has been completed in tunnels T-02, T-03, T-09, T-12, and T-14, while lining work is ongoing in tunnels T-01, T-04, T-07, T-08, T-10, T-11, and T-13. A total of 16.45 km of lining has been completed to date.

CPRO Mr De also emphasised that work in all sections is being carried out round the clock on an emergency basis. This is one of India’s most prestigious ongoing national projects, and upon completion, it will connect the state of Sikkim to the railway network for the first time.

The rail network, once completed, is expected to provide an alternative and stable connectivity route to Sikkim.

Currently, all activities related to the construction of tunnels, bridges, and station yards are progressing at a rapid pace to ensure the early completion of the project.

The Northeast Frontier Railway is committed to completing the project as soon as possible, Mr De added.