The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has declared that all civil contracts for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project across Gujarat and Maharashtra have been granted. Additionally, contracts for depot and electrical works have been finalized.
Bullet Train Big Update: In Gujarat, the foundation work for all eight bullet train stations, namely Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati, has been finished. Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, construction has commenced at the Mumbai bullet train station.
Land Acquisition and Tunnel Completion
The work in progress includes 190 km of viaduct and 321 km of pier. Land acquisition has been completed in Gujarat, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Maharashtra. The first mountain tunnel near Zaroli village in Valsad is 350 m long and has been completed.
Significant infrastructure achievements include three steel bridges: 70 m at Surat, 100 m at Anand and 130 m at Vadodara. Eight river bridges on Par, Purna, Mindola, Ambika, Auranga, Vengania, Mohar and Dhadhar rivers have been completed. Work on bridges on Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmati rivers is in progress.
Undersea Tunnel Construction
India’s first seven kilometre long undersea rail tunnel in Maharashtra is part of a larger 21 kilometre long tunnel between BKC and Shilphata. Excavation activities for the Mumbai Bullet Train Station and tunnel shafts are actively underway.
The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad on September 14, 2017. NHSRCL is overseen as a special purpose vehicle, with equity participation from the central government through the Ministry of Railways and the governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently indicated that the project will be completed by 2026. The initial services will run between Surat and Bilimora. Despite initial delays related to land acquisition challenges, construction has been progressing steadily since November 2021.
Project cost and timeline
The initial cost of the project was Rs 108,000 crore and its estimated completion period was eight years. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project remains on track to significantly enhance high-speed rail connectivity in India.
NHSRCL was established on February 12, 2016 under the Companies Act. It operates as a special purpose vehicle with equity participation of the Central Government through the Ministry of Railways along with the Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
This ambitious project aims to revolutionise travel between Mumbai and Ahmedabad by providing a faster alternative to existing modes of transport.
