The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has achieved a major construction milestone with the successful breakthrough of its third mountain tunnel in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
The tunnel, located at Ambesari village in Dahanu taluka, is 417 metres long and 14.4 metres wide, and has been designed to accommodate rail movements on the high-speed rail corridor.
Key Highlights
- Third mountain tunnel breakthrough achieved in Palghar district
- Tunnel is 417 metres long and 14.4 metres wide
- All three mountain tunnels between Boisar and Vapi have now been excavated
- Three mountain tunnels completed within the last five months
- Seven of the project’s eight mountain tunnels are located in Maharashtra
- Advanced monitoring systems were used to ensure safety during excavation
Officials said excavation work was carried out simultaneously from both ends of the tunnel using a controlled drilling and blasting technique. Advanced geotechnical instruments and monitoring systems were deployed during construction to maintain structural stability and ensure safe execution of the work.
Third tunnel completed in five months
The latest breakthrough marks the completion of the third mountain tunnel in Maharashtra within the last five months, highlighting progress in one of the more challenging sections of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor.
Project authorities said real-time monitoring systems, including Surface Settlement Points (SSP), strain gauges, seismographs and 3D targets, were installed to continuously track vibrations, tunnel behaviour and the impact of excavation activities on nearby structures.
Worker safety measures were also implemented throughout the construction process. These included ventilation systems, fire-safety arrangements, controlled entry mechanisms and continuous geotechnical monitoring inside the tunnel.
With the completion of this tunnel, all three mountain tunnels located between the upcoming Vapi and Boisar Bullet Train stations have now been excavated.
Progress accelerates across mountain tunnel package
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project includes eight mountain tunnels in total. Of these, seven are located in Palghar district of Maharashtra, while one is situated in Gujarat’s Valsad district.
According to project officials, the 350-metre-long MT-08 tunnel achieved breakthrough in October 2023. The 1.5-km-long MT-05 tunnel was completed in January 2026, followed by the 454-metre MT-06 tunnel in February 2026 and the latest 417-metre MT-07 tunnel in June 2026.
Construction activities are continuing on the remaining tunnels. MT-04 has achieved nearly 60 per cent progress, while excavation work on MT-03 has crossed the 80 per cent mark. Work on MT-01 and MT-02 is also progressing steadily.