Construction of tunnel T-42 (Length - 9.2 kms) of USBRL project- Challenges and lessons learnt

USBRL is a national and prestigious railway project of 323 km new Broad Gauge Line construction to provide an all-weather connectivity and sustainable transportation link of Kashmir valley to the rest of India. As the project was conceptualized in 1995 and work got started in various stretches of alignment, the commissioning of various legs of the railway line was done commensurate to the its completion. The last leg from katra - banihal of 111 kms has been commissioned in parts during the CY 2024 with 94 km receiving the statutory authorization. T42 is 9.2 km the fourth longest tunnel of this project located between dugga and sawalkot stations. The construction of this long tunnel through such weak geological formations was a challenging task completed satisfactorily with some key learnings for the future. This technical paper is aimed to throw an insight into the experience gained during the faced challenges of this tunnel and the take away lessons learnt for the future tunneling prospects in India.