Railway Tunnels India
Railway Tunnels India
Overview
Indian Railways owns 6 700 km of route, of which 3 % (≈ 200 km) is inside 1 200-plus tunnels. 95 % of them lie on the 4 mountain systems – the Western & Eastern Ghats, the Himalaya and the Vindhyas – and are critical for freight, strategic & pilgrim traffic. While the first tunnel (Parsik, 1860s) was cut in basalt, today’s longest (Pir Panjal 11.2 km) is Asia’s 3rd longest broad-gauge tunnel. All new tunnels are 2×2 D-shaped, electrified, ballast-less, equipped with SCADA-controlled ventilation & 3-tier escape passages conforming to Railway Board’s “Safety-30” code.
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total number of tunnels on IR | 1 275 (as on 31-03-2024) |
| Total route-km inside tunnels | 197.38 km |
| Longest broad-gauge tunnel | Pir Panjal (Banihal-Sangaldan) 11.215 km |
| Longest metre-gauge tunnel (heritage) | Barog (Kalka-Shimla) 1.14 km |
| Deepest point below rail level | Karbude (Ratnagiri) 42 m |
| Oldest tunnel still in use | Parsik (Mumbai) 1.3 km, opened 1865 |
| Highest (altitude) tunnel | Banihal (2 176 m above MSL) |
| First tunnel electrified end-to-end | T-1 (Ghat section) 1967 |
| First tunnel with 5 m head-room for ODC | Rapuru (SCR) 2022 |
| Tallest tunnel cross-section | Chenab bridge approach tunnel 8.2 m |
| Only IR tunnel under a major river bed | Pamban (Rameswaram) 2.3 km |
| Tunnel with longest single escape shaft | Kottavalasa-Kirandul route 1.2 km |
| Total tunnels in Konkan Railway | 92 (83 km) |
| Total tunnels in USBRL project | 38 (119 km) |
| Longest tunnel boring machine (TMM) drive | T-49 USBRL 12.77 km (Udhampur-Katra) |
Important Points
- Konkan Railway holds 1/6th of IR’s tunnels in only 0.4 % of network length.
- USBRL (J&K) will host 10 of India’s 15 rail tunnels > 5 km after 2025.
- All Konkan & USBRL tunnels use 25 kV OHE with rigid catenary; no third rail.
- New tunnels are designed for 160 km/h (future) even where present speed is 100 km/h.
- Basalt & gneiss tunnels (Ghats) need 5-7 % concrete lining; Himalayan tunnels need 100 %.
- “White spot” disease in Konkan tunnels is treated with ferro-silicate injection every 5 yrs.
- Tunnel telephone (SIT) sockets @ 150 m, refuge niche @ 1 km, cross-passage @ 500 m.
- Freight rebate: 30 % for food-grain rakes using Konkan route (2023-25) to offset surcharge.
- Heritage Darjeeling & Kalka-Shimla tunnels are UNESCO buffer; speed capped at 25 km/h.
- No manned gate inside any tunnel > 1 km – TVDS camera with OFC to section control.
- Emergency stopping place (ESP) gradient < 1 in 400 for any new tunnel > 3 km.
- RRB NTPC 2022 CBT-1 asked 3 questions on Pir Panjal length, Konkan tunnels & USBRL.
Frequently Asked in Exams
- Length & zone of Pir Panjal tunnel – 11.215 km, NR.
- Number of tunnels in Konkan Railway – 92.
- Deepest tunnel of IR – Karbude on Konkan (42 m).
- Oldest operational tunnel – Parsik (1865), CR.
- Highest altitude rail tunnel – Banihal (2 176 m).
Practice MCQs
Question:01 The longest railway tunnel of Indian Railways is situated in which state?
A) Himachal Pradesh
B) Jammu & Kashmir
C) Uttarakhand
D) Sikkim
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Pir Panjal tunnel on the Banihal-Sangaldan section in Jammu & Kashmir is the longest railway tunnel of Indian Railways.
Question:02 How many tunnels are there on the entire Konkan Railway route?
A) 76
B) 85
C) 92
D) 101
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: The Konkan Railway route has more than 92 tunnels; the actual count is 101.
Question:03 Which of the following tunnels is NOT located on the Konkan Railway?
A) Karbude
B) Tike
C) Berdewadi
D) Barog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Barog Tunnel is on the narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla Railway, not on the Konkan Railway.
Question:04 The deepest point below rail level in any Indian Railways tunnel is approximately
A) 28 m
B) 35 m
C) 42 m
D) 52 m
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The Karbude tunnel on the Konkan Railway holds the record, with its deepest point about 42 m below rail level.
Question:05 The Pir Panjal tunnel was constructed by which method?
A) Cut-and-Cover Method
B) New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM)
C) Drill-and-Blast Method
D) Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Method
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The 11.2 km long Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel (India’s longest) was excavated and supported using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), which employs sequential excavation and immediate shotcrete support to stabilise the rock mass.
Question:06 The first railway tunnel commissioned on Indian Railways was
A) Khandala Tunnel (Ghat Section, 1858)
B) Parsik Tunnel (Mumbai, 1865)
C) Borghat Tunnel (Thal Ghat, 1861)
D) Patalpani Tunnel (Western Ghats, 1872)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Parsik Tunnel on the Mumbai suburban section, opened in 1865, is the first railway tunnel ever commissioned on Indian Railways.
Question:07 The Banihal rail tunnel is located in which mountain range?
A) Karakoram Range
B) Pir Panjal Range
C) Zanskar Range
D) Shivalik Range
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The 11.2 km long Banihal rail tunnel (also called Pir Panjal rail tunnel) lies in the Pir Panjal Range of the middle Himalayas, connecting Banihal with Qazigund in Jammu & Kashmir.
Question:08 Which Indian Railways tunnel passes under a sea-bridge approach?
A) Karbude Tunnel
B) Pamban Tunnel
C) Nathuwadi Tunnel
D) Pir Panjal Tunnel
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Pamban Tunnel on Rameswaram Island runs beneath the approach to the historic Pamban Sea Bridge, making it the only IR tunnel located under a sea-bridge approach.
Question:09 Total route-kilometres inside tunnels on Indian Railways is nearest to
A) < 50 km
B) 100–150 km
C) > 200 km
D) 500–600 km
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Indian Railways has more than 200 route-kilometres of track laid inside tunnels, mainly on its hill and Konkan sections.
Question:10 The USBRL project will add about how many kilometres of tunnel length?
A) 89 km
B) 99 km
C) 109 km
D) >119 km
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: The USBRL (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link) project includes more than 119 km of total tunnel length, making it one of the longest tunnelled sections in Indian Railways.
BETA
