New Delhi, Sept. 12 -- Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has achieved a major milestone in the Rishikesh-Karnprayag New Broad Gauge Rail Line Project with the final breakthrough of Escape Tunnel 1, marking the 41st tunnel breakthrough of the project.

The Rishikesh Project Implementation Unit of RVNL achieved the breakthrough on Friday, completing the entire 10.847-km stretch of Escape Tunnel 1, which is the second-longest tunnel of the project.

The achievement is significant as the tunnel passes through challenging Himalayan geological conditions. The entire alignment traverses highly tectonized, multi-folded and extensively faulted rock masses, with widespread shearing and locally intense crushing.

According to officials, these adverse ...