Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project: The development work on India’s first Bullet Train Project- Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor is going on at a fast pace, the Railway Ministry said. According to the ministry, in this direction, the longest bridge for the Bullet Train project is being built on the Narmada river in the city of Bharuch, Gujarat. A few days ago, ANI reported that the bridge on the Bullet Train corridor would be 1.2 km long and it is likely to be completed by June 2024. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is implementing the project, said all the 20 bridges, which are under construction on various rivers across Gujarat, will be completed by June 2024.
According to Pramod Sharma, Principal Executive Director with NHSRCL, the corporation has adopted the latest technology, which will minimize the construction time to almost half time compared to bridge construction on any river. Under the MAHSR project, as many as 20 bridges will be constructed as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train will cross over various rivers such as Narmada, Kaveri, Sabarmati, Daroatha, Mahi, Par, Purna Ambika, Kolak, Daman Ganga, Anuraga, Mindhola, Vishwamitri, Kharera, Dhadhar, Tapi, Kim, Vatrak, Meshwa and Mohar. The longest bridge for this Bullet Train project will be on the Narmada river followed by the Tapi river and Mahi river which will be around 720 meters.
Sharma also said that for the purpose of wells’ construction inside the Narmada stream, two temporary Access Bridge with width of 8 metre are being developed in two parts with 60 meters gap between them for allowing navigation. The Narmada river has a tidal effect and it could have affected the construction of the bridge being done on the river. Thus, a temporary access bridge has been constructed at a certain height in order to overcome the effect of rising water levels during the rainy season. Now, construction work can be done round the clock the entire year, Sharma added.