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| Kashmir rail track alignment changed | | After Rs 700 Cr loss, Railways eye Rs 1000 Cr gains | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 26: Ready to face a cumulative loss of some Rs 700 Crore but with hopes to save Rs 1000 Crore, the Northern Railways has mulled a change in alignment to the railway track connecting Kashmir with rest of the country. As per the new plan, which is likely to be approved, the number of bridges comes down drastically from 93 to just nine and tunnels from 64 to ten. In the previous plan, the railway track between Udhampur and Qazigund was 85 per cent through tunnels and bridges and only 15 per cent on the open surface.
As per the new design of alignment, the track length has also come for a shortening by nearly half of the previous plan. Now the distance between Katra and Banihal will be just 69 Kilometers instead of 125 Kilometers. Reports say that construction as per new plan will save the expenditure by Rs 1000 Crores. In another significant decision, the Northern Railways resolved that the new contract scheme will be on mutual loss sharing basis on account of ‘geological surprises’.
The latest order makes it clear that the mega arch bridge plan has been discarded because the site has "many shortcomings" and a study done by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has also brought out "the limitations and difficulties" involved in the project.
If the October 23 decision is taken to its logical conclusion, the modified alignment for the entire line between Katra and Banihal in the treacherous high relief region of Jammu will be reduced from 125 km to 69 km as it is based on the latest technology of tunneling through the mountains (in preference to skirting them).
Since the modified alignment is going to be straighter, it will cut down on 11 sharp turns, including two hairpin bends, in the single-tube tunnels that were originally planned to be built. In a major safety measure, Vij ordered that the tunnels should have twin tubes, which will not only make construction easier but also help evacuate passengers in the event of a train accident (fire, collision or derailment) inside the mountain.
Just the as the Chenab bridge is being shifted out of a gorge, the other bridges on the modified alignment will also be located on more stable slopes in wider valleys. In fact, the number of bridges reduces drastically from 93 to nine and tunnels from 64 to 10. As Vij put it in his order, "There will be savings in the cost of overall project besides improving constructability and survivability."
Despite the benefit of an additional line, the modified alignment is estimated by the board to result in the saving of about Rs 1,000 crores. Since the board will now have to write off collapses and damages to the tune of Rs 700 crores and idling claims from contracts of Rs 1,000 crores, Vij ordered that the new contracts should incorporate clauses regarding "risk sharing for geological surprises." |
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