DIMAPUR, MAY 16 (MExN): The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) on Tuesday informed that Tunnel no T-14 of the Sivok - Rangpo Rail Project (SRRP)- the gateway of railway network to the state of Sikkim- has achieved another milestone by completing the final concrete lining on May 15.
The tunnel is about 1977 m long and is situated in the Rangpo Sub-Division of District Pakyong, Sikkim. This tunnel has achieved the credit of being the first to complete the final concrete lining out of 14 tunnels of the Project, a press release issued by NFR chief public relations officer informed.
The tunnel is located in between Kumrek and Khanikhola in East Sikkim region and traverses through challenging geological conditions of the lesser Himalaya. New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) has been adopted for the completion of tunnel through challenging and vulnerable groundmass with the supervisions of well experienced engineers from India along with highly experienced foreign engineers in this project.
Track linking works will be the next activity which will begin through the tunnel very soon. Rangpo station situated just after the Tunnel No. T-14 is also under construction and on completion will be a commercial and tourism hub for Sikkim, the press release stated.
This new rail link project from Sivok to Rangpo is about 45 kms long and is characterised by 14 tunnels, 22 bridges and 5 stations including an underground station at Teesta Bazar, W.B. About 38 kms of the entire project alignment passes through tunnels, about 76% of tunnelling work has already been completed.
At present all the activities related to construction of tunnels, bridges and stations on this project are in progress on war footing basis and targeted to complete by December, 2024. This is one of the prestigious ongoing National projects in India and on completion of this project; the state of Sikkim will be connected via railways.
