VIDEO: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Reviews Progress At BKC Bullet Train Origin Station; 76% Excavation Work Completed

Mumbai: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the under-construction underground bullet train station at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai on Saturday to review its progress. Over 76% of the excavation work—approximately 1.42 million cubic meters out of the planned 1.87 million—has been completed. The station will serve as the origin point for India’s first bullet train project, with construction advancing rapidly.

Additionally, 100% of the secant piling (3,384 piles), capping beams (2,203 RMT), and flood wall works (2,078 RMT) at the site have been completed.

After the inspection, while addressing the media, Vaishnaw stated that work on the bullet train corridor in Maharashtra, including the BKC station, is in full swing. However, he did not disclose the target completion date of the project.

As usual, he offered only formal remarks and did not respond to most media queries before leaving for Navi Mumbai, where he inspected the newly designed waterproof point machine. According to Central Railway (CR), this point machine is expected to function smoothly during the monsoon.

Sources say that point machines, which control train movements between tracks, are vulnerable to water submersion, which can cause disruptions. To prevent this, CR has adopted waterproofing measures to protect these machines from water damage. Apart from that minister also visited Panvel railway station.

Addressing media persons after visiting Panvel railway station, the minister underscored the government's long-term vision for expanding Mumbai's rail capacity and modernising its stations to meet the demands of the coming decades.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has guided us to work with a vision for the next 50 years. In that spirit, we are constructing a major coaching terminal at Panvel, which will serve as an origin point for trains," Vaishnaw said.

He said the construction of the coaching terminal is advancing rapidly and it is being built to support increased passenger flow and operational efficiency. He said the Panvel-Karjat suburban rail link, a key component of easing pressure on the Mumbai rail network, is also making steady progress. Vaishnaw also reviewed the dedicated freight corridor, which he described as being in its final laps of development.

Once operational, it will divert goods trains off the main passenger lines, significantly enhancing the movement of local and express trains in the region.

"The freight corridor's connection to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is progressing well. This will ease pressure on Mumbai's passenger rail lines and boost logistics efficiency," the Railway Minister added.Vaishnaw stated that efforts are underway to implement the best international railway technology in India."Our goal is not just expansion but transformation, and making Indian Railways more efficient, safer, and future-ready," the minister said.

Earlier at BKC, Vaishnaw stated that the Mumbai Bullet Train Station, located in Bandra Kurla Complex, is the only underground station on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor.

"The platform is planned to be constructed approximately 26 meters below ground level. The station will have three levels: the platform, concourse, and service floor. Excavation is being carried out to a depth of 32 meters (about 100 feet), equivalent to a 10-story building," he said.

The station will have six platforms, each about 415 meters long—enough to accommodate a 16-coach bullet train. It will be connected to the metro and road networks.

Two entry/exit points are planned—one connected to the nearby Metro Line 2B station and the other toward the MTNL building. The station's design ensures ample space for passenger movement and amenities. Provision has also been made for skylights to allow natural light.

According to sources, three batching plants with a capacity of 120 cubic meters per hour are operational on-site. These plants are equipped with ice and chiller systems to control concrete temperature.

A modern concrete lab is also available on-site, offering tests such as water permeability and rapid chloride penetration. All concrete testing is conducted on-site, with samples periodically sent to reputed laboratories.

M-60 grade concrete will be used for the base slab and M-80 for the columns. The base slab, which will be the deepest structural element of the station, requires about 200,000 cubic meters of concrete. So far, 27,000 cubic meters have been poured.

The base slab is being cast with temperature-controlled M-60 grade concrete. Each casting requires 3,000 to 4,000 cubic meters of concrete, prepared on-site using batching and chiller plants.

3.6 km of tunnel heading has been achieved 

Out of 21 km underground tunnel, approximately 3.6 km of tunnel heading has been achieved cumulatively from Shilphata and two concurrent faces from the ADIT portal using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). Base slab casting at both Vikhroli and Sawli shafts has also been completed.

According to an official, India’s first 21-km underground/undersea tunnel is under construction between the Mumbai Bullet Train underground station at BKC and Shilphata in Maharashtra. Of the 21 km, 16 km is being constructed using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), while the remaining 5 km is through NATM. This includes a 7 km undersea section at Thane Creek. Approximately 3.6 km of tunnel heading has been completed so far.

Progress Bullet train Stations of Maharashtra 

Apart from underground Bullet train station at BKC, work on all three elevated stations—Thane, Virar, and Boisar—is progressing rapidly. The first base slab at Virar Bullet Train Station has already been cast. Pier foundations and pier construction are underway at multiple locations along the alignment, with about 34 km of pier work completed. Seven mountain tunnels are under construction in the Palghar district of Maharashtra using NATM. Construction has also begun on the Vaitarna and Jagani rivers.

Overall Progress of Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project (as of May 1st)

. Viaduct construction: 298 km completed

. Pier works: 378 km completed

. Pier foundations: 398 km completed

. Girder casting: 323 km completed

. River bridges: Completed on 14 rivers

. Steel bridges: Seven completed, including the first 100 m span of a 2x100 m steel bridge

. PSC bridges: Five completed

. Noise barriers: Over 320,000 installed along a 162 km stretch in Gujarat

. Track bed construction: Approx. 149 km completed in Gujarat

. Rail welding: Underway to form 200 m long panels on viaducts

. Overhead equipment masts (OHE): Over 350 installed between Surat and Bilimora covering approx. 9 km

. 21 km underground tunnel (BKC to Shilphata): Approx. 3.6 km heading achieved