RISHIKESH–KARNAPRAYAG RAILWAY LINE 

In 2019, FS Engineering, acting as the lead partner in a consortium with Swiss engineering firm Lombardi, was awarded two contracts encompassing design and Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services for the construction of the new Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line in the state of Uttarakhand, in northern India.

The megaproject involves the development of a new broad-gauge railway link spanning approximately 125 km. The alignment runs predominantly subsurface, with over 105 km configured within 17 bored tunnels. The route traverses a highly complex geological and topographical environment in the Himalayan region, running largely parallel to the course of the River Ganges.

The first contract (Package 1) comprises design and PMC services for a 12 km section running almost entirely in tunnel—including a single continuous bore of approximately 11 km—alongside the construction of Shivpuri station, which marks the line's initial operational segment.

The second contract (Package 8) covers a section of approximately 16 km, encompassing design and PMC services for two tunnels measuring 6.6 km and 7.1 km respectively, alongside the delivery of Golthir and Gauchar stations.

The scheme plays a vital strategic role in regional development by significantly enhancing accessibility across the Himalayan zone. The new rail link will drastically reduce transit times between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag from roughly 7 hours by road to just over 2 hours by rail, facilitating the efficient movement of passenger and freight traffic.

The new infrastructure will also improve multi-modal access to the primary religious shrines of the Char Dham circuit (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath) to boost tourism and pilgrimage volumes, while simultaneously serving an essential national security function by strengthening logistical links to border regions.

The construction program, originally targeted for completion in 2026, has undergone schedule revisions to accommodate the complex engineering challenges of the terrain.

Package 1: An extension of time (EoT) has been granted until December 2027, followed by a standard 6-month Defects Liability Period (DLP).

Package 8: An extension of time (EoT) has been granted until July 2027, followed by a standard 6-month Defects Liability Period (DLP).

To date, the overall physical progress of the project stands at approximately 70 per cent.

Client: Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways group wholly owned by the Government of India.