One of the most challenging engineering feats is the construction of a total of 125 km of new railway line along the Himalayan mountain system. The new railway line will significantly improve mobility and connectivity in the region. In India, Italferr, an engineering company of the Italian FS Group, is carrying out the complex Design and Project Management Consulting (PMC) activities for the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line in a joint venture with the Swiss company Lombardi.
Progress is being made on all fronts, with the breakthroughs in the tunnels of Packages-1 and 8 being a particular highlight. The new 125 km railway connection, predominantly underground (105 km developed over 17 tunnels), will run parallel to the Ganges riverbed, penetrating the Himalayan mountain system.
The project is on track to be completed in 2026, as scheduled, with significant milestones already achieved in March 2025 for both packages. Notably, on Package 1, the section of the Escape Tunnel from the Adit (an intermediate tunnel serving the excavation) to Portal P2 has been completed. Excavation works commenced in May 2021.
On Package 8, the entire excavation of the Main Tunnel, which commenced in 2022, has been completed, with a total length of more than 7 km and an excavation diameter of almost 9 m.
