Longest Indian rail tunnel progressIndian Railways has almost completed the 7.5 km stretch of its 11 km Pir Panjal tunnel project in the State of Kashmir, the longest tunnel in the country (in/36). The remaining 3.5 km is scheduled for completion in late 2010. The section has been built using NATM techniques at a cost of approximately EUR94 million. The tunnel has an overburden of 1,100 m, and surfaces 440 m below the existing 2.75 km Jawahar road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. The tunnel, connecting Qazigund with Banihal, is part of the 148-km long Katra-Qazigund network, the most difficult stretch of the Kashmir rail project, which aims to connect the valley with the rail network of the rest of the country. Click here for the background and history of the Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla rail project. 31/09.