Breakthrough in NFR gauge tunnel work.

The construction division of the NF Railway has successfully made through tunnel No. 10 in the Lumding-Silchar gauge-conversion project.

This is the most difficult and longest tunnel (3.235km) in the entire project and is situated near New Haflong station building and passes below Haflong town.

The underground excavation from both ends of the tunnel met each other this morning.

Sources in the NF Railway said work on the tunnel began in September 2005 but because of several geological problems, work did not progress well initially. However, from 2012, the work on remaining portion of the tunnel picked up. “The rest of the work that include benching, lining and invert will be completed before January 31 during six-month mega block period,” the source said.

Adverse geological conditions were encountered during underground excavation of the tunnel and its completion had been seen as a major challenge for the construction engineers of the NF Railway.

'In fact, this was the most critical activity of the Lumding-Silchar gauge-conversion project. For tackling all geological hurdles, consultancy services of the Central Institute of Fuel and Mining Research, Roorkee, were utilised. Suitable changes in design and tunnel support system were made,' the source said.

Tunnel 10 is one of the 17 tunnels in the entire alignment of the project.

The source said other work like earth filling, construction of major and minor bridges, station buildings, track linking were going on satisfactorily as part of the mega block.

The NF Railway construction division is hopeful of completing the conversion by March 31, 2015. The approximate cost of the work is around Rs 233 crore.


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