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Uttarakhand hills to witness first train run in October 2026: CM Dhami

Uttarakhand hills will witness the first train run in October 2026 as the under-construction Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail link project recently made a breakthrough with the successful completion of over 26 kilometres of tunnel construction, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday.

Uttarakhand hills to witness first train run in October 2026: CM Dhami

File photo of Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

Uttarakhand hills will witness the first train run in October 2026 as the under-construction Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail link project recently made a breakthrough with the successful completion of over 26 kilometres of tunnel construction, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday. He also said that the North Eastern states are likely to consider Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as a model law for implementation.

Making an announcement based on information shared with him by the Union Railway Ministry, the Chief Minister said that the hills will witness the first train run in October 2026. He said a major part of the work under the first phase of the under-construction Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail link project is in its final stages, and train service will commence thereafter. However, the service will initially be limited to a 30-35 km stretch—roughly a fourth of the project’s total 125 km length.

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“I had a discussion with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav regarding the progress of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project. He informed me that train service on this stretch is likely to begin in October 2027. The agencies working on the project under Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) recently achieved a major milestone with the completion of more than 25 km of tunnel work. This will pave the way for laying railway tracks and commencing train services, as per the Railway Minister’s assurance,” the Chief Minister said while speaking on the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-year tenure.

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The successful execution of 26.6 kilometres of tunnel construction work on June 6 by Larsen and Tubero, under the aegis of RVNL, marked a much-awaited breakthrough in the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag broad gauge rail project. This development brings the rail link nearly 30 kilometres inward from the starting point at Rishikesh and represents a significant step towards enhancing rail connectivity in the Himalayan region.

The 26.6-km tunnel breakthrough is divided into two sections of 13.3 kilometres each, separated by a river bridge between Shivpuri and Vyasi on the way to Devprayag. “The tunnels were channelled through hostile mountainous terrain, passing through areas with complex geological strata and seismic activity. A tunnel of more than 15 kilometres—set to be the world’s longest for this type of project—is also proposed as part of this railway line. Achieving this breakthrough in some of the most geologically sensitive zones in India showcases the collective capabilities of our planners, engineers, and workers on the ground,” said L&T senior manager Ajay Pratap Singh.

The Chief Minister further stated that the Uniform Civil Code implemented in Uttarakhand is likely to the replicated by Gujarat and North Eastern states. “Our UCC model was one of the 4-5 select presentations invited at the last Chief Ministers’ meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. The presentation was appreciated by all participating Chief Ministers. The Gujarat government has already constituted a UCC draft committee, while North Eastern states welcomed the law, indicating that they may soon follow suit. Uttarakhand’s UCC is bound to benefit other states as well,” Dhami said.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister minced no words in praising the Narendra Modi government’s more than a decade-long rule. “The saga of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-year leadership will be written in golden letters in India’s history of development. The Prime Minister has worked day and night to realise the dream of a developed and self-reliant India, guided by the vision of ‘Sankalp se Siddhi Tak’ (from resolution to realisation) during this period. Prime Minister Modi and his government have worked tirelessly to transform the people’s aspirations into reality,” he said.

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