Indian Railways Plans Joint Rail-Road Tunnels to Cut Costs

• Indian Railways will study the feasibility of shared tunnels for trains and vehicles to optimise space use
• A joint working group will coordinate projects to cut land and construction costs through integrated planning
• ₹11.21 lakh crore allocated for infrastructure; roads ministry to build 50,000 km of highways under Viksit Bharat

According to officials, the Indian Railways will look at the viability of constructing tunnels which accommodate both rail and road traffic, particularly for projects where the alignment has not yet been approved. The aim is to take better advantage of underground space in built-up areas or restricted geographical locations.

The Railway Board has advised all executing agencies to consider this system at the alignment finalisation or detailed project report (DPR) stage when planning new rail and road tunnel projects, which will then be assessed by a joint working group (JWG) made up of representatives from the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Road Transport.

Officials indicated the initiative would greatly diminish land acquisition and construction expenditures. Aligning planning, design, and operational aspects for both transport alternatives in one corridor would facilitate project making and rationalise expenditure, reduce environmental aspects, and improve regional connectivity.

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Expert recommendations provided through the JWG will be consistently applied to all future tunnel projects, highlighting the Indian government now prioritises cost-effective and integrated infrastructure development.

The official stated, "This will also avoid redundant excavation efforts. Executing agencies concerned will mandatorily need the JWG's nod before proceeding with the alignment report for each project requiring a tunnel".

For this financial year, the government has budgeted ₹11.21 lakh crore for infrastructure development. The railway ministry will spend, ₹32,235.24 crore for new tracks, and ₹2169 crore on bridges, tunnels, and approaches.

Alternatively, the roads ministry intends to build out 50,000 km of access-controlled highways, the government will spend in excess of ₹20 lakh crore under the 'Viksit Bharat' initiative within the next 10-12 years.