Indian Railways constructing world’s first electrified tunnel to run double-stack containers

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) has recently conducted a tunnel-breaking ceremony was held on Friday on the completion of caving work for the one-kilometre long tunnel of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) through Aravalli mountain range, near Sohna in Haryana.

The tunnel connects Mewat & Gurugram district of Haryana and negotiates a steep gradient on the uphill and downhill slope of the Aravalli range.

The D-shaped tunnel has a cross-sectional area of 150 square metres to accommodate double line with higher OHE (Over Head Equipment) to enable double stack container movement on WDFC.

"Tunnel-breaking ceremony marks the completion of the tunnel caving work at the WDFC's (Western Dedicated Freight Corridor) one-km-long tunnel through the Aravallis near Sohna in Haryana," implementing agency of the project, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) said, in a statement.

"This will be the world's first electrified rail tunnel fit to run double-stack containers. The last blasting of the tunnel, which is situated on the Rewari-Dadri section, was done today (Friday). This work has been completed in less than a year's time," it stated.

A spokesperson said they are looking to complete it in "the next 12 months".

Cross-sectional area wise, it is one of the biggest railway tunnels in India. One end of the tunnel is near Rewari and is called Portal -1 or west portal while the other end of the tunnel at Dadri is designated as Portal -2 or east portal.

Double line electrified track for double stacks train movement, the dimension of tunnel 14.5 meter and 10.5 meter height in straight portion and 15 meter wide and 12.5 mtr. Height meter to provide extra clearance while negotiating the curve. 

"Tunnelling work has been done systematically and in a planned manner from both the ends by deploying high-tech man and machinery. This is the reason behind completing the caving work in a record one-year time," the DFCCIL said in the statement.

There are a total of six tunnels in both the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight In WDFC there are the 1 km long Sohna Tunnel, the 320 Metre long Vasai Detour North Tunnel and the 430 Metre long Vasai Detour South Tunnel. Likewise, the EDFC also has 3 tunnels measuring 150 Metre, 475 Metre and 300 Metre respectively in the SonnagarGomoh Section.

DFCCIL has run more than 1600 trains in the Bhadan-Khurja section of EDFC and the Madar-Rewari section of WDFC till date. Despite the Coronavirus pandemic situation, work is progressing at a fast and resolute pace in DFCCIL. The Eastern (excluding the PPP section) and Western DFC is slated for completion in June 2022.

Geologically this tunnel is safe and stable as it is caved through 2500 to 500 million year old Proterozoic Rocks mainly Quartzite, Schists and slates of Alwar/Azabgarh groups of Delhi Supergroup rocks which have high bearing capacity. Double stack containers and 25 ton axle load freight trains will run through this tunnel at a speed of 100 KMPH.