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Assam to Host India's First Underwater Road-Cum-Rail Tunnel Under Brahmaputra
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CNBC TV18•29-09-2026, 17:21
Assam to Host India's First Underwater Road-Cum-Rail Tunnel Under Brahmaputra
- •Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced Assam will get India's first and the world's second underwater road-cum-rail twin-tube tunnel.
- •The tunnel will connect Gohpur with Numaligarh, significantly reducing travel time from six hours to approximately 20 minutes.
- •The project, with a capital cost of – 22,000 crore, has received all necessary approvals, with work expected to begin by year-end.
- •The 33.7-km corridor includes a 15.79-km twin-tube road-cum-rail tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra, enhancing connectivity to airports, railway stations, and waterways.
- •It will boost connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and other Northeastern states, improving freight movement and supporting economic activity.
Key Questions Answered
The project connects Gohpur on NH-15 with Numaligarh on NH-715 in Assam. This includes a 33.7-km four-lane access-controlled corridor featuring a 15.79-km twin-tube road-cum-rail tunnel running beneath the Brahmaputra River.
The current road distance between Gohpur and Numaligarh is roughly 240 km, which takes about six hours to travel. Once the new underwater corridor is completed, the travel time is expected to drop drastically to around 20 minutes.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that all necessary approvals are secured and work on the project could potentially commence before the end of December.
