Mumbai: Prime Minister Modi’s dream project Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project is gaining momentum. Several river bridges are taking shape on the 508.17 km long bullet train corridor. More than 70 percent of the work on the first river bridge of the MAHSR corridor is reported to have been completed. 384.04 km of bullet train project in Gujarat, 155.76 km in Maharashtra and 4.3 km in Dadra Nagar Haveli. 100% civil and track work has started for 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The first bridge over the Par river took shape at Balsad near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. NHRCL Chief Spokesperson Sushma Gaur said construction of bridges on important rivers like Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmati is underway. The width of the first bridge built over the river is 320 meters. It is being fitted with 8 full span girders (40 m each). The height of the pillars ranges from 14.9 to 20.9 m, while the circular pillars have a diameter of 4-5 m.
Eight districts of Gujarat are working fast
Bullet train project is going on fast in 8 districts of Gujarat. Elevated work has started with the acquisition of 100% land. A bridge is being built over the river. Even track laying has started. Casting and erecting of pilings, foundations, piers, pier caps, viaducts and girders for stations in eight districts of Gujarat is in full swing. Work on eight HSR stations from Vapi to Sabarmati is in various stages of construction. Surat depot has completed all 128 foundations. First rail level slabs of 50 meters each have been cast at Surat and Anand HSR stations
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Tunnel from BKC to Shilphata
After the change of government in the state, the work has increased a lot. 98.76% of land has been acquired in Maharashtra. A 21 km long tunnel will be constructed from BKC to Shilphata in Thane for bullet trains. A 7 km undersea tunnel will also be constructed using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail. The tunnel will be about 25 to 65 meters deep from the ground level and the deepest construction will be 114 meters under Parsik Hill near Shilpata. It will start working soon. Work on the underground station will begin at BKC.
Now the deadline is 2027
The bullet train project, which started in 2017, was supposed to be completed by 2023, but the deadline has been extended to 2027 due to various reasons. The bullet train route will have 12 stations, of which eight will be built in Gujarat, four in Maharashtra. According to NHRCL officials, initially the cost of the project was Rs 1.10 lakh crore, but the cost is increasing with delays. The project is being implemented in three packages.
About Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train
- Total length of corridor: 508.17 km
- Maximum operating speed: 320 km/h
Number of Stations: 12
- Gujarat: Eight in Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
- Four are Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Birar and Boisar in Maharashtra
Number of Depots: Three
- Surat and Sabarmati in Gujarat, Thane in Maharashtra