Railway Public Sector Undertaking Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) has achieved the breakthrough of Tunnel-1 on the 206 km Yavatmal–Nanded new line project in Maharashtra on August 5, 2026. This marks the successful completion of all five tunnels along the project taking the total length of completed tunnels to 7.464 km.
How it was done
Despite challenges including land acquisition issues, difficult geological conditions, Red Bole strata and shallow overburden near a nallah, excavation from both ends was completed in about 12 months, RVNL said. Located on a 1-degree curve, Tunnel-1 was completed with near-zero alignment deviation, demonstrating a high degree of surveying and construction precision.
Approximately 850 metres of the tunnel passes through Class IV/V rock, including around 5 metres of Red Bole layer, while the remaining stretch passes through Class II/III rock. Excavation of all five tunnels under the project was completed with zero lost-time accidents, reflecting strong safety practices, technical expertise and teamwork maintained during tunnelling, RVNL said.
