August 30, 2022: HCC has achieved a major milestone with the breakthrough of the T-13 tunnel between Dugga and Sawlakote stations on the Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) of Northern Railway on 30 August 2022. The daylighting of the 8 km main tunnel was done making it completely through from its South portal.
Earlier, the Escape tunnel of T-13 was made through on 2 August 2022. The total length of the T-13 Main tunnel is 9.26 km (combined length), having a single section length of 8.0 km and a wider section length of 1.2 km. The total length of tunnel made through at present is 9.1 km with a balanced length of 150 m in the wider section targeted for completion shortly.
This is the third longest tunnel following the 12.6 km tunnel T-49B, and 11 km long Pir Panjal Tunnel of the Indian Railways.
The USBRL project has a total length of 272km, of which 161km was commissioned in phases.