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India’s First Railway Station Built Inside a Rock Tunnel – The Upcoming Keylong Railway Station

Discover Keylong Railway Station, India’s first-ever station to be constructed inside a 27 km rock tunnel on the Bilaspur–Manali–Leh Railway Line. Learn about its altitude, strategic importance, benefits, and engineering significance.

Pratik Kamble

12 Dec 2025 — 2 min read

ndia’s First Railway Station Built Inside a Rock Tunnel

**India’s First Railway Station Built Inside a Rock Tunnel: Keylong Railway Station**

India is building one of its most extreme and unprecedented railway infrastructure projects, Keylong Railway Station, the first station in the country designed to be constructed entirely inside a mountain rock tunnel.
Located on the upcoming Bilaspur–Manali–Leh broad-gauge line, this station is a masterpiece of engineering, altitude, geology, and national strategy.

This project is not just a railway station, it is India’s entry into the league of the world’s most difficult and high-altitude tunnel-based railway systems.

Why Keylong Railway Station Is Extraordinary

1. First of its Kind in India

While India has many rail tunnels, no existing Indian Railways station is situated inside a tunnel.
Keylong will be the first fully underground mountain station on a mainline railway.

2. Gigantic Tunnel System

It will be housed inside a 27 km long tunnel, one of India’s longest planned railway tunnels.
This allows trains to stop, board, and depart without ever exiting the mountain.

3. High-Altitude Marvel

The station will sit at an altitude of ~3,000 metres (9,840 feet).
This makes it one of India’s highest railway stations ever planned.

4. Part of the Strategic Bilaspur–Manali–Leh Line

The entire 475 km line is a strategic asset, connecting:

Himachal Pradesh
Ladakh
Indo-China border regions

It ensures year-round access where mountain passes remain snow-blocked for 5–6 months.

5. Military Significance

This railway corridor radically improves:

Movement of armed forces and equipment
Border logistics
Response time in high-altitude sectors

The line is classified as strategic priority infrastructure.

6. Transformational Travel Benefits

Once complete, the Delhi–Leh travel duration will shrink from:

40 hours → just 20 hours

A reduction of half the time for both civilians and defence logistics.

7. Tourism & Economic Impact

The line will unlock all-year tourism for:

Lahaul
Spiti
Ladakh
Zanskar
Rohtang region

Small high-altitude towns will experience improved livelihood opportunities.

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