Bhubaneswar: The Khurda Road-Balangir rail line project has achieved a historic milestone with the successful breakthrough of Tunnel T2 between Buguda and Daspalla in Nayagarh district, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) informed on Sunday.
It was achieved on May 30 and marked the completion of excavation work across all seven planned tunnels, using New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).
“Tunnel T2 is the second longest tunnel in Nayagarh district, covering 1,775 metres with 2-degree curve, and a significant part of the project. It was constructed using advanced technology and tunneling methods to overcome the challenging Eastern Ghats terrain, setting a new benchmark in infrastructure execution for Indian Railways,” it further stated.
With the completion of T2, the breakthrough of all seven tunnels in the 75-km stretch between Daspalla and Purunakatak has been achieved, it added.
Key Tunnel Statistics
Total Tunnel Length: 12.76 km
Nayagarh District
o T1: 800 metres
o T2: 1,775 metres
o T3: 2,620 metres (with a 2-degree curve)
Boudh District
o T4: 4,183 metres + 700-meter escape tunnel
o T5: 317 metres
o T6: 290.75 metres
o T7: 1,975 metres
A significant portion of the Khurda Road-Balangir rail line, which spans 301 km, is already operational. It includes 106-km Khurda Road to Daspalla and 120-km Balangir to Purunakatak lines. Work is in progress on the 75-km stretch from Purunakatak to Adhenigarh.
Once fully operational, it will reduce travel time between Bhubaneswar and Balangir and improve access to education, healthcare, and markets while establishing seamless rail connectivity between eastern and western Odisha. “The flagship infrastructure initiative by Indian Railways promises to transform regional transportation, bridge infrastructure gaps and fuel inclusive economic growth in the state,” it added.