Char Dham Yatra made easy through Char Dham Rail Project

‘We will cross the bridge when we come to it,’ or so they say. And now that the bridges are here, it’s time to cross them. Who would have possibly thought that even until a few years ago, the free-flowing Alakananda River in one of the world’s most mountainous and precarious terrains could be crossed so safely, smoothly, and easily, riding on a train or a car!
Well, now you can not only think of it but cross it at ease, thanks to the construction of major bridges that promise to make Char Dham Yatra trouble-free. The 327 km long rail link would pass through five districts of Uttarakhand – Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli. The bridges would connect important towns like Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag through five districts of Uttarakhand, making the Char Dham sojourn safer, smoother, and easier. In the long- run, high-speed freight trains may also run on the route.

The message is loud and clear: India, with its ambitious ‘Make in India’ initiative, can make engineering and bridge infrastructural work which otherwise, seem difficult, look so easy. For instance, Northern Railways conceptualised an ambitious project in Uttarakhand, which was to be monitored by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL). Subsequently, between 2018 and 2019, RVNL awarded these challenging turnkey projects to Rahee Infratech Ltd, for the construction of rail and road bridges across the tough terrain spanning the free-flowing river Alakananda. All of them, understandably, looked challenging, given the topography and character of the region. They are located within the treacherous Garhwal Himalayan range in the North Indian region, characterised by varied rock structures. The region is also prone to extreme weather conditions and contains seismically active zones. However, at present, most of these bridges appear well-positioned to be opened to the public at large within a short period – four years since the awards were presented.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting in Srinagar (Uttarakhand), on February 10, 2022, pointed out how the Union Budget had allocated sufficient funds for the ‘Parvatmala’ project, in line with the Centre’s thrust on ‘Vibrant Village’ policy, which would certainly take new strides in the right direction, following the fund allocation. In this connection, Modi said, “Under the Char Dham Project, an all-weather road is being built. Similarly, work on big projects like the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line is also under progress. Due to this, the number of tourists will increase, employment and facilities for education and treatment.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the fabrication of the composite steel girder for these bridges, which are truly world-class and can be showcased as engineering marvels, was carried out in RDSO-approved Rahee Infratech Limited’s fabrication workshops in Rishikesh itself. Interestingly, cantilever nose launching and nose and tower methods were adopted for road and rail bridges over Alaknanda by Rahee. All the bridges, together, will facilitate pilgrim movements in and around the Char Dham area, fuelling other traffic movements and increasing freight movement in the region, thereby fostering the growth of the Indian economy.

From a modest beginning as a manufacturer of specialised railway track components, Rahee Group has traversed a long way to emerge as a leading provider of turnkey railway infrastructure over the last 75 years. With a large clientele including Indian Railways, Metro Railways, IRCON, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, etc., Rahee Infratech is well set to grow at a pace of 25% YOY.

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And so, it’s not just connecting one point to another in a difficult terrain, but bridging engineering gaps indigenously and creating engineering wonders, while connecting people in more ways than one.

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