The ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has crossed major construction milestones, highlighting progress in both underground and tunneling works in Maharashtra too and a dedicated casting yard at Mahape has commenced production of tunnel linings for the 21 -kilometer-long tunnel.
These linings are vital for the structural integrity and safety of the tunnel.
At the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) sites, shafts at Vikhroli and Sawli have reached depths of 56 meters and 39 meters, respectively.
"Using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), approximately 2 kilometers of tunnel heading has been achieved cumulatively from Shilphata and two concurrent faces at the ADIT portal.
Dedicated Casting Yard for tunnel lining is already Operational in Mahape" said an official on National High Speed Rail Corporation.
Apart from that bids for track construction work in Maharashtra were also invited this year. The technical bids are scheduled to open in February 2025, signaling the next phase of progress in this high-speed rail project
"The construction of the Mumbai Underground Bullet Train station has achieved 56% excavation work, which involves the removal of 1,872,263 cubic meters of earth in total. The first concrete base slab, cast on November 30, 2024, signifies a crucial milestone in the project.
This slab, located 32 meters below ground—equivalent to a 10-story building—has a depth of 3.5 meters and spans 30 meters in length and 20 meters in width. It is the first of 69 slabs that will form the deepest construction level of the station" further added official.
India's first Bullet Train project, connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad, spans Maharashtra (156km), Gujarat (348 km), and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (4 km). Operation on a trial basis over a 50 km stretch between Surat and Bilimora is likely to open in 2026.
The route will feature 12 stations, with eight located in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. The stops include Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane, and Mumba
