News Delhi,Aug 30: A major milestone was achieved today on the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link National Project (USBRL) of Northern Railway with the Break-through of an important Tunnel T-13 on 29.08.2022.  The daylighting of the single section of 8 Km main tunnel was done making it completely through from its South portal. The line and level of the tunnel has been precisely achieved in the break-through.

On 2nd Aug, 2022 the Escape tunnel of T-13 was made through. The total length of the T-13 Main tunnel is 9.26 Km (combined length), having single section length of 8.0 Km and a wider section length of 1.2 Km. The total length of tunnel made through at present is 9.1 Km with balance length of 150 m in the wider section targeted for completion shortly, shared Sh. S.P. Mahi, CAO/USBRL from the site.

The wider sections of the tunnel have been designed to accommodate station yards of Dugga and Sawlakot on either portal ends.  The tunnel shall be paved with state of the art Ballast less track keeping in view the low maintenance aspects and good riding comfort. The breakthrough of this Main tunnel single tube leg has been achieved successfully overcoming several geological and social challenges prominent being hostile terrain, remote location, weak and fractured geology embedded with surprises in lower Himalayas and inclement weather conditions in the area.

Sh. Ashutosh Gangal, General Manager, Northern Railway said that, the completion of the boring work of this important tunnel connecting Dugga and Basindadhar stations is one of the major achievements on the Katra – Banihal section of the USBRL project. With this NR moves one step closer in fulfilling the dream of connecting the Kashmir valley to the rest of India through the Indian Railways network.