The Ministry of Railways has postponed the formal inauguration of tunnel-boring work for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project due to persistent heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions in Mumbai. However, officials have directed that excavation work begin immediately to ensure the project’s timeline remains unaffected.
According to ministry officials, continuous rainfall over the past few days, coupled with the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Red and Orange alerts, prompted the decision to defer the ceremonial launch.
“Considering the adverse weather conditions, we have decided to postpone the formal launch by the Hon’ble Railway Minister of the underground tunnel boring work using tunnel boring machines for the first time on the bullet train project,” a senior official said.
“However, we have asked the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) to start the work immediately without the official launch so that the project is not delayed,” the official added.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was scheduled to inaugurate the tunnel-boring operations on Sunday from Vikhroli to the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station, marking the first use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for India’s maiden high-speed rail corridor.
The tunnelling package is being executed by Afcons Infrastructure Limited using two customised German-made TBMs imported via China in March 2026. The machines will construct a 20.37-km underground tunnel, including a 7-km undersea section, at a depth of nearly 65 metres below ground.
The first TBM will excavate the 5.8-km stretch between Vikhroli and BKC, while the second machine, currently being assembled at Sawli, will undertake the 9.7-km section from Sawli to Vikhroli, including the undersea tunnel. Each TBM is expected to bore around 300 metres every month, with combined progress reaching approximately 600 metres monthly once both become operational.
Officials said 15.4 km of the tunnel between BKC and Sawli will be excavated using TBMs. At the same time, the remaining 4.8-km stretch from Sawli to Shilphata has already been completed using the drill-and-blast method.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is India’s first bullet train project and is expected to improve high-speed connectivity between Maharashtra and Gujarat significantly.
Source: The Hindu
