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Chenani-Nashri Tunnel: India’s Longest Road Tunnel

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Now a drive through the picturesque Jammu and Kashmir valley has become a much more exciting affair with the opening of the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel. The tunnel, which is 9.2 km, is India’s longest road tunnel built in the Shivalik mountain range in the Himalayas. Also known as the Patnitop Tunnel, the tunnel connects the Kashmir Valley with Jammu.  It is Asia’s longest two-way highway tunnel.

The significance of the Tunnel

The tunnel, which is between the districts of Chenani and Nashri, was opened for vehicular traffic in April 2017. The bi-direction tunnel has reduced the distance between Jammu and Kashmir by almost 30 kilometers. The all-weather tunnel bypasses 44 avalanche and landslide-prone spots on the highway. The tunnel is part of the project for broadening of the National Highway No-44, which was the old NH1A from Jammu to Srinagar.

According to an estimate, the tunnel will save fuel of over Rs 27 lakh per day. It will provide easy connectivity for the people of Kishtwar, Bhardwah, and Doda in the Jammu region. Being an all-weather tunnel the problems of road blockage during heavy snowfall in the region has also been eliminated. The Patnitop tunnel has enabled an increase in trade and tourism in the state.

Construction of the Tunnel

The Chenani-Nashri Tunnel has been built in lower Himalayan range at the altitude of 1200 metres or 3937 feet. The foundation stone for the project was laid in June 2011, but because of the difficult terrain and technical problems, it took over 6 years to complete the project. There were landslides, heavy snowfall and even ‘demonetisation period in India’ delayed the project. The delay had caused a lot of uproar in the J&K Assembly. The construction, which is estimated to be at the cost of Rs 3.750 crore, involved nearly 1500 engineers, geologists, and numerous labourers.

Unique Features of the Tunnel

The tunnel is hailed as an engineering marvel. It marks many significant firsts in road building projects in India including user safety as an utmost priority.

The unique feature of the tunnel is that it has an Integrated Tunnel System, which is controlled by one particular software.

The Chenani-Nashri tunnel has Transverse Ventilation System, which means it has inlets and outlets for fresh air circulation. This ventilation system prevents suffocation and ensures acceptable visibility levels.

There are appropriate fire safety measures in place for any fire emergencies. There are SOS boxes installed with first aid box for any accidents.

A video surveillance system monitors the activities in the tunnel. A special camera has been installed to count the number of vehicles in the tunnel. It has a special drainage system to flush out water flowing in from the mountains.

Being an all-weather tunnel it has the capacity to have vehicular traffic despite heavy snowfall and rains.

The tunnel provides a mobile network of major telecom operators in India like Airtel, Idea, and BSNL. Also, there is a facility of 92.7 FM Radio Channel functioning inside the tunnel and can be used to communicate with vehicles in case of an emergency.

Travel to the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel

The road journey from Jammu to Srinagar is always a pleasant experience. The green meadows, mountains and the valley can be very enchanting and now with it, there is an opportunity to experience the engineering marvel of the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel. One can drive through the Jammu-Srinagar road and experience both nature’s bounty and a world-class modern structure. So go on a drive and pass through the longest road tunnel of India – the Patnitop Tunnel.

Featured Photo: Can I Cross? by garlandcannon under CC BY 2.0

The Kamshet Tunnel – The Longest Road Tunnel Of Maharashtra   

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The Kamshet Tunnel or Kamshet 1& 2 tunnel is Maharashtra’s longest road tunnel. It is built on the prestigious Mumbai-Pune Expressway road. The two-tube and three-lane tunnel is 1.843 km long and is also called Kamshet-West Tunnel.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway

The Kamshet Tunnel is one of the six tunnels that one passes through on the journey from Mumbai to Pune on the Expressway. It was built when the expressway between Mumbai and Pune was constructed to ease traffic and decrease travel time. It is an important link between the financial capital of India – Mumbai, and Pune, also known as the cultural capital of Maharashtra.

The expressway is distinguished to be India’s first six-lane tolled Expressway for high-speed and access control. It is 94.5 km in distance and makes traveling between Mumbai and Pune within three hours of time. Before the expressway was opened for operations in 2002, the fastest way to travel to Pune from Mumbai or vice-versa was to take the railway route. The highway between the two cities used to have a lot of traffic and was quite accident prone especially in monsoons due to the Sahyadri mountain region in between. It used to take almost 7 to 8 hours to drive on the highway to reach either destination. According to a study, almost 400 persons per year were killed in accidents on the old Mumbai-Pune Highway.

With the opening of the Expressway, the travel from Mumbai to Pune or vice-versa has become hassle-free. This has tremendously helped the businesses existing in both the cities especially the IT sector. Also, the number of accidents has gone down comparatively. Initially, the expressway did not have a speed limit, but since 2009 there is a speed limit of 80 km/hour or 50 mph for private cars. The entire route, which goes through the mountain and valleys of the popular hill stations of Lonavala-Khandala is a pleasant drive. It has also increased social and cultural interactions between the two cities. The expressway has also boosted tourism in the small hill station town of Lonavala.

Construction of the Expressway and the Kamshet Tunnel

After a feasibility study in 1990, the Government of Maharashtra entrusted the work to build the Expressway to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation in 1997. The actual work started on the expressway in 1999 and it was built at the estimated cost of Rs 1630 crores. The work to build the tunnels including the Kamshet Tunnel was given to the Konkan Railway Corporation. The Konkan Railway Corporation’s engineering team is a well-experienced team when it comes to building tunnels. Having built 91 tunnels on the Konkan Rail Route, which falls on a similar terrain of the Western Ghats, the Konkan Rail Corporation team built the tunnels on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway with the same efficacy.  Modern machinery and advanced technology were used to dig out the tunnels. Separate tunnels were built for traffic in each direction and the cost to build had been around Rs 200 crores. The Kamshet tunnel along with others has been built with modern facilities for ventilation, lighting and firefighting vehicles.

How to travel through the Kamshet Tunnel

The Kamshet Tunnel 1& 2 is the last of the tunnels on the expressway if you drive from Mumbai side just before reaching Pune. You will cross the tunnel after driving through the curvaceous mountain valley of Lonavala.If you want to enjoy a drive on India’s first expressway and enjoy the lush green hills of the Sahyadri then drive on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. You will sure cross all the tunnels including the Kamshet Tunnel. And if you wait for some more years than you might get to pass by an 8-kilometer-long tunnel, which is being proposed to be built on the same route connecting Khopoli to Lonavala.

Featured Photo: Bhatan Tunnel, on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. by Russ Nelson under CC BY-SA 2.0 (Representational)

Natuwadi Tunnel –  The Rail Tunnel On The Western Ghats

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The Natuwadi Tunnel is one of the 91 tunnels that you can pass through while traveling on the Konkan Railways’ route. The 4.7 km tunnel is the second longest tunnel on the route after the Karbude Tunnel. The tunnel is part of the beautiful curvy route of the Konkan Railways going through the hills of the lush green Western Ghats.

Construction of the Natuwadi Tunnel and the Konkan Rail Line

The Natuwadi Tunnel is built between Karanjadi and Diwan Khavati railway stations in the Maharashtra section of the Konkan rail line. The Konkan railway route was constructed to connect the west coast cities of Mumbai and Mangalore. Before the rail project was executed, there did not exist any railway line to connect the coastal towns of West India. There was either a travel by road option or trains running through inland India, which meant a lot of travel time.

In 1989 the work to lay the Konkan Railway Line was started. There were many challenges faced by the Railway engineering team to construct the route on the rough mountainous terrain. It took almost eight years to build the rail stretch covering Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka region.  Ninety-one tunnels and around two thousand bridges were built on the curvaceous route. The Natuwadi Tunnel is the sixth tunnel on the route also named as T-6, if you travel from the Mumbai end.

The Western Ghat Terrain is quite uneven with slopes and hills. It was necessary to level the uneven surface so as to build the rail track. The Natuwadi Tunnel was planned and built to level the line between the Karanjadi station and Diwan Khavati station. It was a challenge to build the tunnel because of the weather conditions and other issues. Special digging equipment was imported from Sweden to excavate the of the moist and loose soil of the Ghats.

The unpredictable landscape of Western Ghats with   steep rocks, rivers, rivulets, sandy soil, made work very difficult for the engineering team. Sometimes during the excavation process, the tunnel would cave in and the process had to be repeated. Many safety measures had also to be designed because of the falling rocks and loose boulders. In fact, heavy rains and land sliding is a major issue on the Konkan railway route during monsoons.

In 2004, there was a derailment accident just near the Natuwadi Tunnel near Karanjadi, caused by land sliding. But the team of efficient railway engineers are working to better the experience of the commuters. That is the reason, in record time of eight years the entire railway line of 738 kms was built including the tunnels and bridges under the leadership of India’s famous railway man Dr. E Sreedharan. The Konkan rail route is single track and operational for both passenger and freight trains.

Experience travelling through the Natuwadi Tunnel

The Konkan rail route is not only a picturesque track but also represents the amazing abilities of India’s engineers. If you want to experience a journey through this fascinating rail route and cross the Natuwadi Tunnel, then just book a train ticket of Konkan Railways. From Mumbai side, the Natuwadi station starts just after Karanjadi and ends before Diwan Khavati station.

A train ride on multiple bridges and passing through dark tunnels amidst the lush green landscape of Western Ghats will certainly be refreshing. You will admire Mother Nature’s bounty and appreciate the efforts of India’s engineers.

Featured Photo: Light at the end of the tunnel by LunchboxLarry under CC BY 2.0 (Representational)

Pir Panjal Tunnel – The Longest Railway Tunnel In India In The Himalayas

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It will sure be a splendid experience if you get to cross the Himalayan terrain in a train passing through the longest tunnel in India – the Pir Panjal Tunnel. The 11.215 km or 7-mile-long tunnel was constructed as an Indian Government initiative to connect the state of Jammu and Kashmir with country’s rail network.

Significance of the Tunnel

The Pir Panjal tunnel is the part of the only broad gauge mountain railway service in India. The tunnel has been built through the Pir Panjal mountain range between Quazigund and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir. It is part of Northern Railway’s 345 km stretch covering Jammu, Udhampur, Srinagar and Baramulla Railway Line.

The tunnel is 440 metre below the existing Jawahar Road Tunnel. Before the railway tunnel was built the Jawahar Road Tunnel was the only mode of transport in that stretch. In winters heavy snowfall meant the road would be blocked. It would disconnect the people of Kashmir valley from Jammu. The tunnel with its advanced construction system reduced the effect of heavy snowfall. Also, the distance between Quazigand and Banihal was reduced to 17 km which by road is 35 km. The tunnel has proven to be a boon for local Kashmiri people, who are able to commute easily now. The construction of the tunnel not only has done good for economical integration of Kashmir but it has also been beneficial in social aspects.

Construction of the Tunnel

The tunnel’s construction began in 2005 and was opened for operations in June 2013. It was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. The tunnel was built at cost of about Rs 1300 crore and the construction was undertaken by Hindustan Construction Company.

It was a tough task to build the tunnel in the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas. At various points during the construction the team had to face many challenges like falling rocks, seepage problems and softer landscape. There were also issues beyond technical problems because of the sensitive state of affairs in Kashmir. About 1300 workers and 150 engineers had worked tirelessly for 7 years for the completion of this prestigious project.

The new Austrian tunnelling method (NATM) was used for the construction of the tunnel.  A tunnel excavator and road header were used for the first time in India for such a large scale project.   The average elevation of the Pir Panjal tunnel is about 5770 ft and it is 1440 feet below the Jawahar Road Tunnel. The tunnel is 8.40-metre-wide and 7.39 metre in height. A 3-metre-wide road has been built along the length of the tunnel for the maintenance of the tracks and emergencies.

The tunnel is Asia’s fourth longest railway tunnel and it takes approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds for a train to cross it.

The Pir Panjal Tunnel also known as Tunnel T-80 has State-of-the Art systems installed within it. There are CCTV cameras, fire detection and fire fighting system with fire hydrants installed within the tunnel. There is an emergency telephone for communication with control room.  There are 25 fans along the tunnel for ventilation system.  The tunnel walls are lined with a water proofing membrane brought from Italy, which keeps it all-weather dry.

How to travel through the tunnel

It sure will be one of the most beautiful and thrilling ride to travel by a train passing through the Pir Panjal Tunnel. A ride through the Himalayan terrain overlooking the heavenly valley of Kashmir and covering a 11.215 km of darkness can be an amazing experience. One can take the Northern Railway trains route of Srinagar-Banihal for a spellbound experience. So if you happen to go to Kashmir, do book a train ride from Srinagar to Banihal to have a once in a lifetime experience.

Featured Photo: The Toy Train to Simla by meg and rahul under CC BY 2.0

Karbude Tunnel – The Longest Tunnel of Konkan Railways

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The 6.5 kilometres long Karbude Tunnel that one passes through when travelling with the Konkan Railways, is the second longest tunnel in India. The tunnel is located in the beautiful hills of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra state of India.  It comes between Ukshi and Bhoke station near the coastal town of Ratnagiri. Karbude was the longest railway tunnel of India till the 11.21 km Pir Panjal tunnel had been constructed in 2013.

Construction of the Tunnel

The tunnel was built when the historic Konkan railway route was established to connect the west coast cities of Mumbai and Mangalore. It was an important railway project, specially for people of Konkan region as there never existed a railway line to connect the coastal towns along the route of the Arabian sea. People had to either travel by road or take trains running through inland India, which meant quite a lot of travelling time.

It was in 1989 that work to lay the Konkan Railway Line had started. The construction of the entire railway line was a challenging affair as it was located in the rough terrain of the hilly Western Ghats. It was tough to dig in the soft soils of the Sahayadri mountain range to create tunnels and build bridges. However, under the super-efficient leadership of famous railway man Dr. E Sreedharan and bunch of expert engineers of India, the railway line was completed in record time of 8 years. The rail route is single track and operational for both passenger and freight trains.

Hydraulic tunnel-digging equipment were specially brought in from Sweden to dig the many tunnels on the Konkan railways, including the Karbude Tunnel. There are total of 91 tunnels and around 2000 bridges built on the curvaceous Konkan Railway route. Karbude tunnel is the tunnel number 35 on the railway line from Mumbai side.

Konkan railway photo
ERS – OKHA ExP by Belur Ashok under CC BY 2.0

The Karbude tunnel is not only an important element for smooth railway operations but also an engineering feat that India Railways takes pride in. It is an essential part of the 738 kms Konkan railway line.

How to pass through the Karbude Tunnel

If you want to experience a journey through multiple tunnels, ride on several bridges, and specially the Karbude Tunnel, then book a train ticket of Konkan Railways. You will travel through the most amazing scenic beauty surrounded by lush green hills, picturesque waterfalls and rivers flowing towards the sea.

If you want to enjoy the Karbude Tunnel then do take ticket to travel to at least Ratnagiri. The Konkan railway covers three major states Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. You can travel in an upward or downward train from any one of the states. Keep counting the number of tunnels and bridges and enjoy the spectacular view. If you are travelling from Mumbai then count 34 tunnels and the 35th is Karbude Tunnel.

Featured Photo:  by urbz under CC BY 2.0

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