The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is making steady progress across Thane and Palghar, with construction advancing on a 135.45-km elevated stretch between Shilphata in Thane and Zaroli village near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently shared an update on the work, highlighting the scale of engineering being undertaken along the corridor.
124 Km Of Viaducts & Bridges
Of the 135.45-km stretch, around 124.027 km will comprise viaducts and bridges. Construction is also progressing on three elevated stations at Thane, Virar and Boisar.
At Thane, the station concourse is being built around 12 metres above ground to help protect mangroves in the environmentally sensitive area.
Pier construction has advanced across more than 100 km, with nearly 74 km of piers ready for viaduct girder installation. Nine casting yards, seven full-span launching gantries and eight SBS launching gantries are operational in Maharashtra to support the construction.
Seven Mountain Tunnels Under Construction
The section includes seven mountain tunnels, with breakthroughs completed in three. Work on drainage, waterproofing and tunnel lining is now underway in the completed tunnel sections.
The corridor will also feature several major river bridges, including a 460-metre bridge over the Ulhas River, a 2.32-km bridge over the Vaitarna River and a 510-metre bridge across the Jagani River.
Overall, 36 bridges and crossings are planned, including 12 steel bridges over major railway lines, rivers, highways and other important locations.
Shilphata Tunnel Achieves Breakthrough
A recent milestone was recorded at Shilphata in Thane, where a tunnel breakthrough was achieved using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
The tunnel forms part of Package C2 of the high-speed rail corridor and is being constructed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. Unlike tunnel boring machines, NATM uses the surrounding rock and soil as part of the tunnel’s support system, with sprayed concrete applied to stabilise the excavated sections.
“Ashwini Vaishnaw will be visiting the NHSRCL site at Ghansoli on Saturday to grace the Bullet Train – Shilphata Tunnel breakthrough event,” an official said.
The ongoing work highlights the complex engineering involved in building India’s first high-speed rail corridor through the diverse terrain of Maharashtra.
Source: Mid-day
