Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project: The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) announced the successful completion of 100 per cent land acquisition for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Rail Corridor, popularly known as the bullet train project, spanning Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a latest update on the land acquisition, revealing that the entire 1389.49 hectares needed for the project have been acquired. The high-speed rail line, employing Japan’s Shinkansen technology, connects Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Let us take a look at some of the milestones and first of a kind features that India’s first bullet train project will have.
Girder Launching – 120.4 Km
According to NHSRCL, all civil contracts for the project in Gujarat and Maharashtra have been awarded. Additionally, 120.4 km of girders have been launched, and 271 km of pier casting has been completed. The project marks the first use of the J-slab ballastless track system in India, with the laying of the first reinforced concrete track bed initiated in Surat and Anand.
First mountain tunnel
A significant milestone was achieved with the completion of the first mountain tunnel, measuring 350 meters in length and 12.6 meters in diameter, near Zaroli village in Gujarat’s Valsad district within 10 months.
First steel bridge
The NHSRCL reported the erection of the first steel bridge, spanning 70 meters and weighing 673 MT, across NH 53 in Surat. Sixteen out of 28 such bridges are in various stages of fabrication. Construction of bridges has been completed over six rivers on the corridor, and work is underway on others.
India’s first 7 km undersea rail tunnel
The project includes India’s first 7 km undersea rail tunnel, part of the 21 km-long tunnel between Bandra Kurla Complex and Shilphata in Maharashtra. Excavation work for the Mumbai HSR station has also commenced.
High-speed rail stations
High-speed rail stations in Gujarat’s Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati are in various stages of construction. Noise barriers are being erected along the viaduct to mitigate train and civil structure-generated noise during operations.
First phase of the bullet train by 2026
Financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a soft loan of Rs 88,000 crore from Japan, the Rs 1.10 lakh crore project faced delays due to land acquisition issues. The government aims to commence the first phase of the bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in south Gujarat by 2026.
