58.182.176.169 at 17:13, 12 September 2021

2021-09-12T17:13:05Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width =
| name =Char Dham Railway 
| color =
| logo =
| logo_width =100px
| logo_alt =
| image =
| image_width =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| type =
| system = Broad Gauge
| status = Under-construction
| locale = [[Uttarakhand]]
| start = Start at [[Doiwala]] for [[Yamunotri]] and [[Gangotri]] routes, Start at [[Karnaprayag]] for [[Kedarnath]] and [[Badrinath]] routes
| end = End at [[Palar, India|Palar]] for [[Yamunotri]], End at [[Maneri, India|Maneri]] for [[Gangotri]], End at [[Sonprayag]] for [[Kedarnath]] route, End at [[Joshimath]] for [[Badrinath]] route
| stations =
| routes = Two separate Y-fork railways with a total of four individual routes
| ridership2 =
| open =
| close =
| owner =
| operator = [[Indian Railways]]
| character =
| depot =
| stock =
| linelength_km = 327
| linelength_mi =
| linelength =
| tracklength_km= 327
| tracklength_mi=
| tracklength =
| gauge = {{convert|1676|mm|ftin|abbr=on}}
| minradius =
| racksystem =
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| speed_km/h =
| speed_mph =
| speed =
| elevation_m = 1733
| elevation_ft =
| elevation =
| website = http://www.indianrailways.gov.in
| map =
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}}

The '''Char Dham Railway,''' the [[Indian Railways]]'s under construction twin [[railway line]]s, will complement the [[Char Dham Highway]] project by connecting the holiest places of [[Hinduism]] called [[Chota Char Dham]], from the existing [[Doiwala]] railway station near [[Dehradun]] to [[Gangotri]] and [[Yamunotri]] via a fork at [[Uttarkashi]] and another set of twin rail links from the upcoming railway station at [[Karnaprayag]] to [[Kedarnath]] and [[Badrinath]] via a fork at [[Saikot]]. The line is also of strategic military importance and has been designated a national project.<ref name=char1>[http://www.india.com/business/chardham-to-get-rail-connectivity-indian-railways-pilgrimage-linking-project-to-cost-rs-43-29-crore-2124237/ Chardham to get rail connectivity; Indian Railways pilgrimage linking project to cost Rs 43.29k crore, India.com, 12-May-2017]</ref><ref name=char2>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/railway-minister-lays-foundation-stone-for-final-location-survey-on-char-dham-route/articleshow/58659661.cms Railway minister lays foundation stone for final location survey on char dham route, India Times news, 13-May-2017]</ref>

==Railway routes==

The ''Char Dham Railway'' has two different Y-shaped railways, with total of the following four individual rail lines:

* '''A.''' Gangotri–Yamunotri spurs: Main spur will go to Gangotri which will also Y–fork for another spur to Yamunotri.

**'''A1.''' [[Doiwala–Dehradun–Uttarkashi–Maneri Gangotri Railway]] 131 km long route will have the following 11 stations: [[Doiwala]], Sangatiyawala Khurd, Sarangdharwala, Ampata, Maror, Kandisaur, [[Chinyalisaur]], Dunda, Athali, Ladari and [[Maneri, India|Maneri]].<ref name=curr1/> Pilgrims will road transport from Maneri to [[Harsil]]-[[Gangotri]] via [[National Highway 34 (India)|NH-34]]. This will take the railway and Char Dham road highway at Gangotri closer to the [[Sino-Indian border dispute|large disputed India-China]] border area of [[Nelang|Nelang Valley]] which is currently in India's operational control.<ref name="info.cndsi.com">{{cite news|author=采编|title=中印边境自卫反击作战史|url=http://info.cndsi.com/html/20051126/1747142842.html|accessdate=2005-11-26|website=中国国防资讯网|date=2005-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626012530/http://info.cndsi.com/html/20051126/1747142842.html|archive-date=26 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=tut4>[http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/achilles-heel-in-indias-border-defence-with-china/ Achilles Heel in India's Border Defence with China!], [[Indian Defence Review]], 20 June 2017.</ref> Maneri to Gangotri is further 84 km.

** '''A2.''' [[Uttarkashi–Palar Yamunotri Railway]], 22 km long route will make a "Y" fork connection at Athali from the Gangotri railway above to reach at [[Palar, India|Palar]] railway station from where pilgrims will wtake road and track to [[Yamunotri]].<ref name=curr1/> Palar to Yamunotri is further 42 km.

* '''B.''' Kedarnath–Badrinath spurs: Main spur will go to Kedarnath which will also Y–fork for another spur to Badrinath.

** '''B1.''' [[Karnaprayag–Saikot–Sonprayag Kedarnath Railway]] 99 km long route will have the following 7 stations: [[Karnaprayag]], Siwai, [[Saikot]], Bairath, [[Chopta]], Makkumath and [[Sonprayag]]. Pilgrims will walk 19 km from Sonprayag to [[Kedarnath]]<ref name=curr1/>

** '''B2.''' [[Saikot–Joshimath Badrinath Railway]], 75 km long route will make a "Y" fork connection at [[Saikot]] from the Kedarnath railway above to [[Joshimath]]. It will have the following 4 stations: [[Saikot]], Tripak, Tartoli and [[Joshimath]]. Pilgrims will walk 37 km from Joshimath to [[Badrinath]].<ref name=curr1/> This will take the railway and Char Dham road highway at Badrinath closer to the [[Sino-Indian border dispute|disputed valley on India-China border]] area of [[Bara Hoti]] which is currently in India's operational control.<ref name=tut4/><ref name=tut5>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/After-24-yrs-of-work-strategic-military-outpost-near-India-China-border-connected-with-motorable-road/articleshow/55358605.cms After 24 years of work, strategic military outpost near India-China border connected with motorable road], [[Times of India]], 11 Nov 2016.</ref>

* Note: [[Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Railway]] is also an under construction new railway link extension from the exiting [[Rishikesh railway station]] to [[Karnaprayag]]. It will have the following 11 stations: [[Rishikesh]], Shivpuri, Byasi, [[Devprayag]], Maletha, [[Srinagar, Uttarakhand|Srinagar]], Dhari, [[Rudraprayag]], Gholtir, [[Gauchar]], [[Karnaprayag]].<ref name=curr1/><ref name=char3>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/dehradun/coming-soon-india-s-longest-railway-tunnel-on-rishikesh-karnprayag-route/story-wS8XHEfypDEXqdmkby3aAN.html Coming soon: India’s longest railway tunnel on Rishikesh–Karnaprayag route, Hindustan Times news, 19-Sept-2016]</ref>

==Strategic importance==
Once this railway line is completed, [[Line of Actual Control|India-China border]] will be closer to the rest of India by [[Indian Railways|railways]]. The time taken to reach the strategic border military stations from [[Delhi]] will be reduced by providing safe and quick mode of public transport for personnel and equipment.<ref name=char1/>

==Challenges==
After the [[Konkan Railway]], [[Mangalore–Hassan–Mysore line|Hassan–Mangalore line]] and [[Jammu–Baramulla line]], this line will be the most challenging railway project in [[Indian Railways]] due to mountainous terrain, a large number of tunnels and high bridges and severe cold weather in flood, landslide and earthquake prone high altitude mountainous area.<ref name=char1/><ref name=char2/>

==Current status==
Char Dham Railway project's 327 km long construction, costing [[Indian rupee|₹]]43,292 [[crore]] (USD $6.6 billion), began with the foundation stone laying and commencement of ₹120 crore ''Final Location Survey'' (FSL) in May 2017 by the [[Minister of Railways (India)|Union Minister of Railways]] [[Suresh Prabhu]].<ref name=char1/><ref name=char2/> In January 2018, reconnaissance survey was complete, and final survey using airborne electromagnetic technique was underway by Turkish-Ukrainian company, which will be completed in 2 years, after which track laying would begin in December 2019. As of July, 2020 New Rishikesh railway station is ready and operational. Bridge over [[Chandrabhaga River (Purna River tributary)|Chandrabhaga river]] is being laid. Also a bridge over [[Alaknanda River|Alaknanda river]] in [[New Tehri|Tehri]] is under construction. Both these bridges will be ready by 2021 as per plan. Land for all railway stations is acquired and work is going on in small phases over the entire route.<ref name=curr1>[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=hi&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livehindustan.com%2Futtarakhand%2Fdehradun%2Fstory-good-news-for-chardham-rail-line-approved-budget-for-final-survey-work-1739228.html Good news for Chardham rail line, approved budget for this big work], [https://www.livehindustan.com/uttarakhand/dehradun/story-good-news-for-chardham-rail-line-approved-budget-for-final-survey-work-1739228.html Live Hindustan], 18 January 2018.</ref>

== See also==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Char Dham Highway]]
* [[Diamond Quadrilateral]] railway project
* [[Golden Quadrilateral]] road project
* [[Setu Bharatam]] railway crossing-free flyover and underpass project
* [[Future of rail transport in India#Geo|New geostrategic rail lines of India]] under construction
{{col div end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

{{Transport in India}}
{{Uttarakhand}}
{{Railways in Northern India}}

[[Category:Rail transport in Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Northern Railway Zone|*]]
[[Category:Proposed railway lines in India]]
[[Category:Modi administration initiatives]]

Char Dham Railway - Revision history

58.182.176.169 at 17:13, 12 September 2021