In an effort to accelerate progress on the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, an additional 394-meter intermediate tunnel has been constructed at Ghansoli in Mumbai. This new tunnel will expedite the 21-kilometer main tunneling work between BKC and Shilphata, adjacent to the Thane creek.
According to a release from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the special purpose company overseeing the bullet train project, the new 26-meter-deep terminal, which is 3.3 kilometers long, will facilitate simultaneous access to create approximately 1.6-meter tunnels on each side. For the main 21-kilometer tunnel, 16 kilometers will be excavated using tunnel boring machines, while the remaining 5 kilometers will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling Method.
Intermediate tunnel to provide direct vehicular access to main tunnel
Excavation for the intermediate tunnel began on December 6, 2023, and the full 394 meters were completed in six months. This process involved 214 controlled blasts using 27,515 kg of explosives under expert supervision. The intermediate tunnel is designed to provide direct vehicular access to the main tunnel during construction and operation and can also serve as an evacuation route in emergencies.
Construction is rapidly progressing on the 21-kilometer section from the Mumbai Bullet Train Station to Shilphata in Maharashtra. Notably, about seven kilometers of this tunnel will pass under the Thane creek, an intertidal zone, marking the first of its kind in India. This single-tube tunnel will house two tracks for the bullet train, which will travel at speeds of up to 320 km/hr within the tunnel. Currently, 16 kilometers of the tunnel are under construction at BKC, Vikhroli, and Savli, using tunnel boring machines.
Bullet train to be operational by 2026
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in March that the much-anticipated bullet train project is expected to be operational by 2026, with initial services running between Surat and Bilimora. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor has been progressing steadily since work began in November 2021, despite initial delays due to land acquisition challenges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched the project in Ahmedabad on September 14, 2017.
The NHSRCL was incorporated on February 12, 2016, under the Companies Act, 2013, with the mandate to finance, construct, maintain, and manage the High-Speed Rail Corridor in India. The company is a ‘Special Purpose Vehicle’ with equity participation from the Central Government through the Ministry of Railways and the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra. According to the 2015 Joint Feasibility Study, the project was estimated to cost Rs 108,000 crore, with an expected completion period of eight years.