The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has achieved another milestone in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project with the successful launch of a massive steel bridge spanning over railway freight corridor tracks near Tralsi village in Gujarat’s Bharuch district.
According to NHSRCL, a 130-metre-long steel span was launched over tracks belonging to the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC), completing 230 metres of the bridge’s total planned length of 330 metres.
The bridge forms part of the Surat–Vadodara section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and has been designed as a three-span structure consisting of a continuous 100+130 metre span along with a separate 100-metre simply supported span.
Officials stated that the recently launched 130-metre span measures nearly 18 metres in height and 15.5 metres in width, with an estimated weight of approximately 2,900 metric tonnes. NHSRCL added that a separate 100-metre simply supported span weighing around 1,500 metric tonnes had already been erected at the site in March 2026.
The remaining 100-metre continuous span, weighing nearly 1,600 metric tonnes, will be installed separately through in-situ construction.
The steel components for the bridge were fabricated at the Karbon Factory in Umbergaon, Gujarat, and are designed with an operational lifespan of 100 years. NHSRCL stated that the structure incorporates nearly 1,21,373 Tor-Shear Type High Strength bolts along with metallic bearings and specialised C5 system painting for corrosion resistance and long-term durability.
Before launch, the 130-metre span was assembled on temporary trestles positioned around 14 metres above ground level. It was then moved into place using an automatic launching system supported by two semi-automatic jacks capable of exerting 250 tonnes of force each.
Authorities said the launch operation was carried out under coordinated traffic management arrangements to minimise disruption to freight train movement.
NHSRCL stated that out of 17 planned steel bridges in Gujarat under the bullet train project, 14 have now been completed. Overall, 28 steel bridges are planned across the entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor.
Source: Swarajya
