Longest Railway Tunnel and Famous Rail cum Road Bridges of India
Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel is India’s longest rail tunnel, and Bogibeel Bridge in Assam is India’s longest Rail cum Road Bridge. Although Indian Railway has plans to construct Patalpani rail tunnel in Madhya Pradesh. After the competition in 2025, this tunnel will become India’s longest railway tunnel with a whooping 49 km in length.
The Railway network in India is one of the largest in the world. Most of the tunnels are located in the Himalayan ranges and the Western Ghats of India. The Rail cum Road Bridge is a unique construction that provides passage to both trains and automobiles. Read about some of the longest railway tunnels and famous rail cum road bridges in India.
Longest Railway Tunnel in India
Located in the middle of the Himalayan mountain range, the Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel is the longest in India. It is also called the Quazigund Railway Tunnel. The total length of this tunnel is 11.215 km, and it is a part of the 119 km Jammu-Baramulla line.
Tunnelling is important for connecting two stations separated by mountains. The construction of the Pir Panjal tunnel has reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to just 11 km. Apart from considerably reducing the distance, these railway tunnels are of economic and strategic importance to the Nation. Read further to know about a few more Indian Railway Tunnels and their importance.
Trivandrum Port Tunnel – 9.02 km
Mooted by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, KRCL, Trivandrum Port Tunnel is a 9.02 km long under-construction project. The construction of this rail tunnel is expected to be completed by 2022. After completion, it will be the second-longest rail tunnel in India. The tunnel is proposed to have a single line that will be sufficient for the movement of 10 rakes daily.
Sangaldan Railway Tunnel – 7.1 km
Located between Katra-Banihal, the Sangaldan Railway Tunnel is 7.1 Kms long. Konkan Railway Corporation constructed it in December 2010. This Rail Tunnel has a single track with a permitted operating speed of up to 75km/h for all trains.
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Rapuru (P-4) – 6.6 km
Indian Railways Rapuru (P-4) is the longest electrified tunnel. This tunnel was constructed in a record time of 43 months only. Rapuru (P-4) is 6.6 km long, and it has been designed and constructed in the shape of a Horse Shoe. In addition, the tunnel is the game-changer in terms of freight operations in the South Central Railway zone.
Karbude (T-35) – 6.5 km
Karbude (T-35) connects the Ukshi and Bhoke railway stations of Maharastra. The 6.5 km long tunnel was opened in the year 1997. It is the longest and one of the important railway tunnels of Konkan Railways.
Maliguda Tunnel (M-1) – 4.4 km
The Maliguda Tunnel in Odisha is a 4.4 km long Indian Railways tunnel. The tunnel lies in the East Coast Railway zone, and it was opened in 1963. Located on the hilltop of Maliguda, it is one of the most beautiful places in Jeypore.
Famous Rail cum Road Bridges in India
Constructing Rail cum Road Bridges is challenging. These types of Bridges are built keeping in mind their multipurpose usage. Here are a few famous Rail cum Road Bridges of Indian Railways:
Bogibeel Bridge – Assam
Measuring 4.94 km over the Brahmaputra River, the Bogibeel Bridge is India’s longest Rail cum Road Bridge. This Bridge is remarkable due to its strategic importance. While the Rail cum Road Bridge will cut the distance and time travel, it will also aid in defence movement along the Indo-China border. The Bogibeel Bridge has reduced the Dibrugarh-Itanangar road trip to a considerably 150 km shorter now.
Digha Sonpur Bridge – Bihar
The Digha Sonpur Bridge is a Rail cum Road Bridge across the river Ganga. It is also known as J.P Setu, which is named after Indian Independence activist Jayprakash Narayan. The Bridge is 4.5 km long, and it is the second-longest Rail cum Road Bridge in India after Bogibeel Bridge in Assam. The Bridge provides easy road transportation and railway links, and it is also the second Railway Bridge that connects North Bihar to South Bihar.
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Munger Ganga Bridge – Bihar
The Munger Ganga Bridge is a famous Rail cum Road Bridge across the Ganges in Munger. It is the 3.7 km long Bridge which is officially known as Sri Krishna Setu. On roadways, the Bridge connects the National Highway 31 and National Highway 33 via National Highway 333B. In Railways, the Munger Ganga Bridge connects Jamalpur Junction and Ratanpur Railway Station of the Eastern Railways.
Godavari Bridge – Andhra Pradesh
Godavari Bridge in Rajahmundry of Andhra Pradesh is an impressive 4.1 km Rail cum Road Bridge in India. The Bridge has a two-lane road deck over a single-track rail line. It is a truss bridge over river Godavari in which 2.8 km is rail part, and 4.1 km is road part. Locally the bridge is also known as Rajahmundry–Kovvur Bridge. This famous Rail cum Road Bridge was opened on August 16 1974.
Narnarayan Bridge – Assam
Narnarayan Bridge is a marvellous Rail cum Road Bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra River in Assam. The bridge measure 2.5 km in length and connects the Pancharatna and Goalpara cities of the state. The Bridge got its name from the 16th century Koch King called Nar Narayan. The Narnarayan Bridge has a railway track on the lower deck and a road track on the upper deck. It is a remarkable Rail cum Road Bridge in Assam located on the route of National Highway 17.
Farakka Barrage – West Bengal
Farakka Barrage is an engineering marvel across the river Ganga in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal in India. Besides being a Barrage, a Rail cum Road Bridge has been built across the river to establish direct rail and road communication links between the North-Eastern region and India. Hindustan Construction Company constructed the 2.3 km long Barrage. It has a highway on the Barrage with the railway track by its side.
Rajendra Setu – Bihar
The Rajendra Setu is the first Rail cum Road Bridge over the Ganga River. Also known as Mokama Bridge, it is a nearly 2.0 km long Bridge. Designed in Girder style, the Bridge has a double road track and a single line rail track. This Rail cum Road Bridge connects the Mokama-Barauni Rail line and NH 31 on roadways.
Koilwar Bridge – Bihar
Koilwar Bridge is a 1.4 km long Rail cum Road Bridge over the Sone River. The Bridge is officially known as Abdul Bari Bridge. The Bridge is named after Prof. Abdul Bari, who was an Indian academic and social reformer. It connects Arrah with Patna. Recently a new three-lane Koilwar Bridge has been inaugurated, known as Vashishtha Narayan Singh Bridge. After this Bridge is opened, the old Koilwar Bridge shall be used for rail transportation only.
Vivekananda Setu – West Bengal
The Vivekananda Setu is a 900 meters long Rail cum Road Bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal. This 90-year-old Bridge is also called Willington Bridge or Bally Bridge. The Bridge provides rail and road links between Calcutta Port and the hinterland. Despite being so old, the overall architecture of Vivekananda Setu is still robust and impressive.
Which Is the Longest Indian Railway Tunnel?
The Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel is 11.2 km long, and it is India’s longest rail tunnel. The tunnel connects Quazigund and Banihal and has reduced the distance between the two places to only 11 km.
Which Is the Longest Rail Tunnel in Konkan Railways?
Karbude Railway tunnel is the longest tunnel in Konkan Railways. With a 6.5 km length, it is one of the best examples of rail tunnels in India.
What is a Rail cum Road Bridge?
A Rail cum Road Bridge is an engineering structure that allows transportation of both roadways and trains. Generally, Rail and Road lanes are built in the form of decks one over the other. However, there are examples where Rail tracks or Road lanes have been built side by side to the Bridge.
Which Is the Longest Rail Cum Road Bridge in India?
The Bogibeel Bridge is the longest Rail cum Road Bridge with a total length of 4.9 km. The Bridge was opened for public transportation on December 25, 2018, by PM Narendra Modi.
We bring to you interesting facts about Indian Railways. Rail tunnels and Rail cum Road Bridges are engineering marvels connecting India. When the lengths of all the tunnels are combined, it accounts for more than 170 km. Similarly, the Rail cum Road Bridges plays an important role in Nation building through transportation of frights, defence personnel and equipment, and passengers. In fact, these are the backbone of transportation in India.
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