- Why in news
- On 13 February 2026 the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a 33.7 km road-cum-rail corridor with a twin-tube tunnel under the Brahmaputra in Assam, at Rs 18,662 crore (release dated 14 Feb 2026).
- What it is
- The Gohpur-Numaligarh project links Gohpur on NH-15 (north bank) with Numaligarh on NH-715 (south bank) in Assam. It uses a twin-tube tunnel bored by a tunnel boring machine under the Brahmaputra, with rail infrastructure in one tube. It is meant to cut the long detour via the Kaliabhomora bridge near Silghat.
- Claimed first
- It is described as the first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel in India and the second in the world.
- Rail links
- The alignment connects the Rangia-Mukongselek section (Rangia Division, NFR) on the Gohpur side and the Furkating-Mariani loop line (Tinsukia Division, NFR) on the Numaligarh side.
- Present route
- The current route is 240 km via the Kaliabhambhora bridge near Silghat, taking about 6 hours, through Numaligarh, Kaziranga National Park and Biswanath.
- Jobs
- About 80 lakh person-days of direct and indirect employment.
Don’t confuse with Total length vs tunnel length: The whole project is 33.7 km; only 15.79 km is the twin-tube tunnel.
Don’t confuse with Civil cost vs capital cost: Civil cost is Rs 11,982.36 crore; total capital cost, including land and other items, is Rs 18,662.02 crore.
Places in the news: 26 Prelims questions since 2013, rising (12% of news questions in 2022–26); they test location and why it matters.
Why it matters
- Cuts travel time and logistics cost between the north and south banks, helping Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
- Gives strategic and multi-modal connectivity to economic nodes, airports, railway stations and waterways.
Problems
- Tunnelling under a wide, flood-prone, seismically active river brings engineering, cost and time-overrun risks.
- The route passes near Kaziranga, so environmental clearance and wildlife concerns need care.
Way forward
- Follow strict construction monitoring and timelines under the EPC contract.
- Plan feeder roads and freight links so the tunnel's traffic benefits are realised.
- 2017Mains GS1 · Q16How can floods become sustainable irrigation and all-weather inland navigation sources in India?
- 2007Prelims Q88Which strait is crossed by a tunnel connecting the United Kingdom and France?
- 2016Prelims Q28Which rivers are tributaries of the Brahmaputra: Dibang, Kameng, Lohit?
- 2026Prelims Q25Identify the Brahmaputra from clues on antecedent drainage, countries, and distributaries.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
True or false?
1 of 5
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The approved tunnel connects Gohpur on NH-15 with Numaligarh on NH-715 in Assam.
True. The corridor runs from Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh on NH-715.
2.The project is described as the first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel in India and the second in the world.
True. First in India, second in the world.
3.The tunnel section under the river is about 15.79 km long.
True. The twin-tube TBM tunnel is 15.79 km.
4.On the Numaligarh side the project connects with the Rangia-Mukongselek railway section.
False. Rangia-Mukongselek is on the Gohpur side; the Numaligarh side links to the Furkating-Mariani loop line.
5.The Brahmaputra is known as the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh before it enters Assam.
True. The river is called Siang/Dihang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.