L&T’s involvement in the RVNL’s 125km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Line project covers Packages 2 and 4.
The tunnel was excavated using a 9.11-meter diameter tunnel boring machine (TBM) named Shakti, the largest of its kind in the Himalayan region. The TBM completed 10.4 km of the tunnel, averaging 413 meters per month, while the remaining 4.11 km was constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). L&T’s work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag project includes packages 2 and 4, covering significant tunnel excavation and infrastructure development.
In package 4, L&T is constructing a 14.5-km upline and a 13.1-km downline for the railway tunnel. Package 2 involves 26.6 km of tunnel excavation, 28 km of tunnel lining, two railway bridges, one road bridge, and various embankments. The railway line is designed to reduce travel time between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag from seven hours to two, enhancing connectivity for the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage across five Himalayan districts.
L&T’s Whole-Time Director and Civil Infrastructure Senior Executive Vice-President, S V Desai, stated: “This significant breakthrough in one of the most challenging terrains reflects our commitment and strong collaboration between our client RVNL. This milestone fosters a deep sense of collective achievement within our team, proving that with dedication and innovation, no challenge is insurmountable.”
L&T, a $27 billion Indian multinational, specializes in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects, high-tech manufacturing, and services across multiple regions. In March 2025, L&T’s Buildings & Factories division secured a major contract from the Brigade Group, its largest residential project from a private client to date. This project involves constructing residential and commercial towers in Hyderabad and Chennai, India.
The completion of Tunnel No. 8 underscores L&T’s expertise in delivering complex infrastructure projects and supports India’s efforts to modernize its railway network, improving accessibility and economic connectivity in the Himalayan region.
