India’s inaugural high-speed rail corridor connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad is steadily advancing, with 427 km of pier construction completed and 336 km of girder launching finalized so far, the Ministry of Railways informed Parliament.
In a written statement to the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the 508 km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, spanning Maharashtra, Gujarat, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, is currently the country’s only high-speed rail project under construction.
“The entire 352 km stretch in Gujarat has seen completion of pier construction, marking a major milestone for the elevated alignment of the corridor,” the minister said. Girder casting has reached 342 km, and girder launching — the process of placing precast bridge segments on piers — is finished for 331 km. Track bed construction spans 152 km, while Overhead Equipment (OHE) mast erection covers 121 km, reflecting a shift from heavy civil work to railway systems installation.
In Maharashtra, where initial land acquisition hurdles slowed progress, works are now picking up pace. Foundation works cover 84 km, pier construction 75 km, girder casting 12 km, and girder launching 5 km along the state’s 156 km section.
Station infrastructure is also advancing: out of 12 planned stations, foundation work is complete at eight — Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati. In Maharashtra, stations at Thane, Virar, and Boisar are progressing, while excavation for the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) underground terminal nears completion, with base slab casting underway.
Seventeen river bridges are complete, with major bridges over the Narmada, Mahi, Tapi, and Sabarmati rivers in Gujarat, and four bridges in Maharashtra, nearing completion. Work on the under-sea tunnel between BKC and Shilphata has also started, with 4.8 km excavated so far.
Vaishnaw emphasized, “The bullet train project is complex and technology-intensive, and the exact timeline for completion will depend on civil structures, track installation, electrical systems, signalling, telecommunications, and trainset supply.”
Source: Swarajya
