Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway has registered a major milestone in railway infrastructure development by successfully breaking through five tunnels during the financial year 2025–26 across the rugged and geologically complex terrain of the Eastern Ghats, making it one of the most productive years in its tunnelling history.
The latest achievement came with the breakthrough of Tunnel No.30 (1,043 metres) in the Sikarpai–Keutguda section of the Koraput–Singapur Road doubling project on April 14, 2026. Executed entirely on a challenging 5 degree curve. The tunnel was driven simultaneously from both ends and achieved 100% alignment accuracy, demonstrating exceptional engineering precision, advanced surveying techniques, and meticulous execution under difficult conditions.
The year also witnessed significant progress on the strategically important Khurda Road–Balangir new line project, where Tunnel T-4 (4,185 metres), the longest on the route, and Tunnel T-2 (1,775 metres) were successfully broken through, together accounting for nearly 6 kilometres of tunnelling through hilly terrain.
In addition, Tunnel T-5 and T-6 (250 metres each) were completed in July 2025, followed by the completion of Tunnel T-7 (1,975 metres) in November 2025, marking substantial advancement in finishing works.
Overall, 7,051 metres of tunnels were broken through and 2,475 metres were fully completed with lining and associated works during the year, along with additional breakthroughs on key doubling sections including Koraput–Rayagada and Koraput–Singapur Road corridors.
These tunnelling achievements are critical to the timely completion of key railway projects that will significantly enhance connectivity between coastal and western Odisha, improve capacity on vital freight and passenger corridors, and bring remote and tribal regions closer to mainstream economic activity.
The consistent pace of progress reflects East Coast Railway’s focused, mission mode approach to infrastructure development, overcoming formidable natural barriers and ensuring that the benefits of modern rail connectivity reach every corner of the state.
