Char Dham Railway

Last updated

Char Dham Railway
Overview
StatusUnder-construction
Locale Uttarakhand
Termini
Website http://www.indianrailways.gov.in
Service
SystemBroad Gauge
ServicesTwo separate Y-fork railways with a total of four individual routes
Operator(s) Indian Railways
Technical
Line length327 km (203 mi)
Track length327 km (203 mi)
Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6.0 in)
Electrification 25kV OHE
Operating speed110 kmph
Highest elevation1,733 m (5,686 ft)

The Char Dham Railway, the Indian Railways's under construction twin railway lines under Char Dham Pariyojana project by connecting the holiest places of Hinduism called Chota Char Dham, from the existing Doiwala railway station near Dehradun to Gangotri and Yamunotri via a fork at Uttarkashi and another set of twin rail links from the upcoming railway station at Karnaprayag to Kedarnath and Badrinath via a fork at Saikot. The line is also of strategic military importance and has been designated a national project. [1] [2]

Contents

Railway routes

Existing railheads

At present, the relevant railway lines are as follows:

Proposed new lines

The Char Dham Railway has two different Y-shaped railways, with total of the following four individual rail lines:

Strategic importance

Once this railway line is completed, India-China border will be closer to the rest of India by railways. The time taken to reach the strategic border military stations from Delhi will be reduced by providing safe and quick mode of public transport for personnel and equipment. [1]

Challenges

After the Konkan Railway, Hassan–Mangalore line and Jammu–Baramulla line, this line will be the most challenging railway project in Indian Railways due to mountainous terrain, a large number of tunnels and high bridges and severe cold weather in flood, landslide and earthquake prone high altitude mountainous area. [1] [2]

Current status

Char Dham Railway project's 327 km long construction, costing ₹43,292 crore (USD $6.6 billion), began with the foundation stone laying and commencement of ₹120 crore Final Location Survey (FSL) in May 2017 by the Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu. [1] [2] In January 2018, reconnaissance survey was complete, and final survey using airborne electromagnetic technique was underway by Turkish-Ukrainian company, which will be completed in 2 years, after which track laying would begin in December 2019. As of July, 2020 New Rishikesh railway station is ready and operational. Bridge over Chandrabhaga river is being laid. Also a bridge over Alaknanda river in Tehri is under construction. Both these bridges will be ready by 2021 as per plan. Land for all railway stations is acquired and work is going on in small phases over the entire route. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Chota Char Dham is an important modern Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Badrinath is also one of the four destinations of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Char Dham Highway</span> Proposed two-lane highway in Uttarakhand, India

Char Dham National Highway, is an under construction two-lane 889 km long National Highway with a minimum width of 10 metres in the Indian state of Uttarakhand under Char Dham Pariyojana. The under construction highway will complement the under-construction Char Dham Railway by connecting the four holy places in Uttarakhand states namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The project includes 889 km national highways which will connect the whole of Uttarakhand state. It will connect Delhi–Dehradun Expressway on its southern end to India-China Border Roads on its northern ends.

Maneri is a town in Uttarakhand, India. Situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi 8 km north of Uttarkashi, it is the home of Maneri Dam and the terminating railway station on Chota Char Dham Railway nearest to Gangotri.

Saikot is a village in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state in India. Situated on the banks of Alaknanda River, it is a proposed y-forked railway junction on Chota Char Dham Railway for two different railways going to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Sonprayag is a village in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state in India. Approximately 73 Kilometres from Rudraprayag Town, the district headquarter. Situated on the banks of river Mandakini River, it is a proposed Y-forked railway junction on Chota Char Dham Railway for two different railways going to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Palar, is a village in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state in India. Situated on the banks of Yamuna river and the terminating railway station on the Uttarkashi-Palar Yamunotri Railway route of Chota Char Dham Railway nearest to Yamunotri.

The Doiwala–Dehradun–Uttarkashi–Maneri Gangotri Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 131 km route starts from the existing Doiwala station near Dehradun and will terminate at Maneri close to Gangotri.

The Uttarkashi–Palar Yamunotri Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 22 km route starts from Uttarkashi and ends at Palar near Yamunotri.

The Karnaprayag–Saikot–Sonprayag Kedarnath Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 99 km route starts from Karnaprayag and ends at Sonprayag 13 km before Kedarnath.

The Saikot–Joshimath Badrinath Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 75 km route starts at Saikot and ends at Joshimath 46 km before Badrinath.

The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag line is an under-construction railway line, which will run from Yog Nagari Rishikesh railway station in Rishikesh to Karnaprayag. It is Indian Railways' proposed route for the Char Dham Railway to connect the Char Dham pilgrimage of Uttarakhand. The line is also part of an Indian geostrategic initiative to build infrastructure along the India-China border to discourage Chinese expansion. The project is considered to be of national strategic importance and is being tracked on the Central Government’s PRAGATI portal. When ready, it will help improve connectivity to the Char Dham shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Chardham to get rail connectivity; Indian Railways pilgrimage linking project to cost Rs 43.29k crore, India.com, 12-May-2017
  2. 1 2 3 Railway minister lays foundation stone for final location survey on char dham route, India Times news, 13-May-2017
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Good news for Chardham rail line, approved budget for this big work, Live Hindustan, 18 January 2018.
  4. ↑ 采编 (26 November 2005). "中印边境自卫反击作战史". 中国国防资讯网. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2005.
  5. 1 2 Achilles Heel in India's Border Defence with China!, Indian Defence Review, 20 June 2017.
  6. ↑ After 24 years of work, strategic military outpost near India-China border connected with motorable road, Times of India, 11 Nov 2016.
  7. ↑ Coming soon: India’s longest railway tunnel on Rishikesh–Karnaprayag route, Hindustan Times news, 19-Sept-2016
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