Railways takes up 1.2km Parsik tunnel stretch for repair

20 September, 2018

THANE : : The Central Railway (CR) has undertaken urgent repair works of the 1.2km-long Parsik tunnel between Thane and Diva on the fast corridor following complaints of continuous leakages inside the structure, which could possibly weaken it and damage the overhead wires. A railway official said the leakage of water inside the tunnel was posing a huge problem and accordingly an expert team from the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Rourkela, was deployed that suggested filling the cracks with a special solvent that could plug the leaks.

Accordingly, several night blocks have been scheduled so as to plug all the cracks and source of leakages in the structure of the arched tunnel, which was built over a century ago on the fast corridor.

“A special solvent is being used by railway engineers to ensure the cracks are sealed and possible leakages plugged. The team first drills holes in the walls of the tunnel and uses resin-bound chemical groute at select spots, which will aid in preventing leakage. The leakage in the tunnel used to cause a lot of damage to the overhead equipment and also to the ancillary infrastructure,” said a senior railway official.

As the Thane-Diva stretch is a busy corridor, the railway engineers have to execute the work at night after the last trains depart from the lines. The work was started recently and will be completed by the end of this year, said an official.

Two years ago, the structure had witnessed major faults thanks to the rampant encorachments above the hills.

Despite the Thane Municipal Corporation taking primary action, the issue of leakage persisted following which the railways undertook this urgent repair work.

 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com