Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line: first train now due December 2028
Published
The Himalayan line was meant to open in December 2026. With 201 of 213 km of tunnelling done, the first train is now due in 2028. Where the work stands, which stations are listed, and how much time the train will save.
Original report
The first train on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is now expected at Karnaprayag in December 2028, not December 2026 as planned, according to Swarajya's report on the revised schedule and the line's Wikipedia record, both checked on 22 October 2026 (Swarajya, 2026; Wikipedia, 2026). The broad-gauge line of about 125 km in Uttarakhand is still under construction and not open.
For pilgrims heading to the Char Dham towns, that means at least two more years of a 6-8 hour road trip that the railway is meant to cut to about 2.5 hours, Wikipedia and Mero Uttarakhand report (Wikipedia, 2026; Mero Uttarakhand, 2026).
Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line opening date moves to December 2028
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), which is building the line, revised completion from December 2026 to December 2028, Swarajya reported, citing officials quoted by Jagran (Swarajya, 2026). Officials said the new schedule "better reflects scale and challenges" of the Himalayan project.
RVNL's nearer target is December 2026, for the last tunnel breakthroughs. Some outlets give 2029; we could not open those reports, so we use the 2028 date that all three sources we read agree on.
That date depends on what is still left underground.
Most of the tunnelling is done
Over 85% of the alignment, about 105 km, runs through tunnels, with 35 bridges, according to Swarajya and Wikipedia (Swarajya, 2026; Wikipedia, 2026). 201 of 213 km of tunnelling was complete by late 2025, leaving about 10 km to excavate, Swarajya (October 2025) and Wikipedia (November 2025) reported.
The line has 17 main tunnels. The longest, Tunnel 8 between Devprayag and Janasu, is about 14.57 km, Mero Uttarakhand reported (Mero Uttarakhand, 2026). Swarajya said 6 breakthroughs were still pending.
How far the whole project has got is less clear.
Progress figures differ by source
A Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) report from October 2025 put physical progress at 65%, with Rs 24,645 crore spent of a revised Rs 38,953 crore cost, Swarajya reported (Swarajya, 2026). Wikipedia gives 76% physical work and Rs 26,841 crore (69%) spent as of December 2025, from a single source (Wikipedia, 2026).
The original cost was Rs 16,200 crore (Wikipedia, 2026). Rs 38,953 crore divided by Rs 16,200 crore is about 2.4, so the revised cost is about 2.4 times the first estimate.
The stations on the line
Wikipedia and Mero Uttarakhand list 12 stations; Swarajya says 13 are planned. The 12 listed run north from Rishikesh:
- Yog Nagari Rishikesh, Muni Ki Reti, Shivpuri, Manjilgaon
- Sakni, Devprayag, Kirtinagar, Srinagar
- Dungripanth, Dhari, Gholtir, Karnaprayag
Yog Nagari Rishikesh and Virbhadra stations are already operational, Swarajya reported (Swarajya, 2026).
What happens next
December 2026 is RVNL's target for the final tunnel breakthroughs, and December 2028 is the expected date for the first train at Karnaprayag (Swarajya, 2026). We have not seen progress figures newer than December 2025.
References
- Swarajya Staff (2026) Rishikesh-Karnaprayag New Rail Line Project In Uttarakhand: Rs 24,645 Crore Spent, 65 Per Cent Progress Achieved. Swarajya. Available at: Rishikesh-Karnaprayag New Rail Line Project In Uttarakhand (Accessed: 22 October 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Rishikesh-Karnaprayag line. Wikipedia. Available at: Rishikesh-Karnaprayag line (Accessed: 22 October 2026).
- Mero Uttarakhand (2026) Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Line: Complete Overview. Mero Uttarakhand. Available at: Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Line: Complete Overview (Accessed: 22 October 2026).
How we did this
On 22 October 2026 we read Swarajya's report on the MoSPI progress figures, the Wikipedia page for the line and Mero Uttarakhand's overview. We compared their dates, progress, cost and station figures, gave both figures where they disagree, and built the timeline in the hero chart from their dated milestones. The hero image is a timeline chart we drew from these sources; upload it with the story.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum: 0% left, 33% center, 33% right.
Who is covering this story
- Center (1): Wikipedia
- Right-leaning (1): Swarajya
- Not yet rated (1): Mero Uttarakhand
Sources
- Rishikesh–Karnaprayag line - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (center) ·
- Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Line: Complete Overview - Mero Uttarakhand — Mero Uttarakhand (not yet rated) ·
- Rishikesh-Karnaprayag New Rail Line Project In Uttarakhand: Rs 24,645 Crore Spent, 65 Per Cent Progress Achieved — Swarajya (right-leaning) ·