Cabinet nod for India's first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel project in Assam

Guwahati: The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs 18,662-crore project to construct a four-lane access-controlled greenfield corridor between Gohpur and Numaligarh, featuring India's first road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra river in Assam.

Currently, the connectivity between Numaligarh on NH715 and Gohpur on NH-15 is 240 km -- from the existing Kaliabhambhora road bridge near Silghat on NH-52, which takes six hours passing through Numaligarh, Kaziranga National Park, and Biswanath Town, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) said in a statement.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of a four-lane, access-controlled greenfield road connecting Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh on the 715 section, including a 15.79 km road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra River, to be developed at a total cost of Rs 18,662 crore in Assam, it added.

The project will be developed on an engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) model, MoRTH said.

This will be the first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel in India and the second in the world. The project will provide significant benefit to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other northeastern states. It will also enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reduce logistics costs and drive socio-economic growth in the region. The project provides seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes across Assam.

Additionally, the project will enhance multi-modal integration by connecting with 11 economic nodes, 3 social nodes, 2 tourist nodes and 8 logistic nodes, providing enhanced connectivity with 4 major railway stations, 2 airports, and 2 inland waterways, thereby facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers across the region.

Upon completion, the project will play a pivotal role in strategic considerations, regional economic growth, strengthening connectivity between major economic centres and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development.

The project will also generate approximately 80 lakh person-days of direct and indirect employment, and will open new avenues of growth, development and prosperity in surrounding regions.

Addressing reporters, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Gohpur–Numaligarh tunnel project once completed will drastically reduce travel time between northern and Upper Assam while also strengthening defence and freight movement across the region.

The Chief Minister said the tunnel's ability to support rail operations places it among a very small group of such projects globally, underlining its technological and strategic importance.

He added that the tunnel would improve year-round connectivity, including during floods, and play a key role in emergency and national security-related movements.

Expanding on other major infrastructure initiatives, Sarma announced that a ropeway project will be developed at Kamakhya, starting from the Kamakhya station, to ease congestion and improve access for pilgrims visiting the revered shrine.

The project is expected to significantly boost religious tourism in Guwahati.