Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project Nears Key Phase as CM Dhami Shares Major Update

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has highlighted rapid progress on the 125-km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project, which is expected to strengthen hill connectivity and boost tourism, jobs and local businesses.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has provided an update regarding the development of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project, where he has stated that construction of the highly anticipated railway line is proceeding quickly and nearing completion at a crucial stage. This project is expected to enhance connectivity of the state’s hill districts along with providing new prospects for tourism, employment and businesses.

It is a 125-kilometre broad-gauge railway track project, which will connect Rishikesh to Devprayag and Karnaprayag among other religious and tourism destinations via Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts.

Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project: Major Tunneling Work Complete

The construction of the railway line is highly challenging owing to the nature of the region that comprises the Himalayan range. The entire alignment will consist of tunnels.

The project includes 16 main tunnels of a combined length of approximately 104 kilometres, along with 12 escape tunnels of about 98 kilometres. According to figures from the supplied update, by July 2026, around 101 kilometres of main tunnel work and over 95 kilometres of escape tunnel work have been completed.

The project would include 19 major bridges as well. As per reports, construction of 11 bridges was completed by July 2026 and the rest were still under construction.

Better Connectivity Would Lead to Growth of Tourism and Employment Opportunities

Chief Minister Dhami has pointed out how the railway would help not just in making the journey easier for the passengers but how it would help in other aspects as well. The better connectivity to the rails would help people reach several places in the hills more easily.

Better connectivity would help hotels, homestays, restaurants, local transport operators, crafts shops, and sellers of local produce. For the hill economy of Uttarakhand, this would help in increasing the opportunities for employment and business.

Connectivity of Char Dham Receives a Big Push

The railway project is expected to enhance the connectivity of religious locations. The connectivity of Devprayag and Karnaprayag would get a big boost due to connectivity with Rishikesh.

Railway would serve as an alternate means of transport that would remain unaffected by traffic and climatic conditions like landslides.

Progress on the Project and Timeline for Completion

Updates related to the project point out that the progress of construction has been considerable. Nevertheless, different official statements have pointed to different completion dates. The statement made in May 2026 by RVNL pointed to overall progress of 74% and tunnel construction progress at 96%, and to December 2029 as the projected date of completion of the project. The statement made in April 2026 mentioned the goal to complete the 125-km line by 2028.

The project is thus progressing into a significant construction stage, but its completion date will be specified further in official statements.