Maharashtra: Third mountain tunnel breakthrough achieved on Bullet Train corridor
Ahmedabad/Palghar, June 2 The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has achieved another construction milestone with the breakthrough of its third mountain tunnel in Maharashtra, marking rapid progress on one of the most technically challenging sections of India's first high-speed rail corridor.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) announced on Tuesday that the breakthrough was achieved at Ambesari village in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district.
The tunnel, designated MT-07, is 417 metres long and 14.4 metres wide and has been designed to accommodate both up and down tracks of the bullet train corridor.
According to NHSRCL, excavation was carried out using a controlled drilling and blasting method from both ends of the tunnel.
Advanced monitoring systems and geotechnical instruments were deployed throughout the work to ensure structural stability and safety.
The corporation said real-time monitoring arrangements, including Surface Settlement Points, 3D targets, strain gauges and seismographs, were installed to continuously monitor vibrations, tunnel behaviour and the impact of excavation on nearby structures.
"Worker safety measures included ventilation systems, fire protection arrangements, controlled access and continuous geotechnical monitoring inside the tunnel," NHSRCL said.
The breakthrough comes after the completion of two other mountain tunnels in the same section within the past five months.
Tunnel MT-05, measuring 1.5 km, achieved breakthrough on January 2, while MT-06, measuring 454 metres, was completed on February 3.
MT-08, a 350-metre tunnel, had earlier achieved breakthrough in October 2023.
NHSRCL said the latest development means all three mountain tunnels located between the Vapi and Boisar bullet train stations, MT-08, MT-07 and MT-06, have now been fully excavated.
The section passes through a major industrial belt linking Boisar in Maharashtra with Vapi in Gujarat.
Of the eight mountain tunnels planned for the project, seven are located in Palghar district of Maharashtra and one in Gujarat's Valsad district.
Construction of MT-04 has reached nearly 60 per cent progress, while MT-03 has crossed 80 per cent excavation. Work on MT-01 and MT-02 is continuing.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, India's first bullet train project, spans 508 km and will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad through 12 stations across Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The corridor is being built by NHSRCL with Japanese Shinkansen technology and is designed for trains operating at speeds of up to 320 km/h.
Once operational, the service is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to a little more than two hours.
Construction is underway across multiple sections of the route, including viaducts, river bridges, stations and the 21-km underground and undersea tunnel segment in Maharashtra.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some tangible progress! I remember hearing about this project for years. The controlled blasting method sounds risky but necessary in the Western Ghats. Hope the local villagers in Dahanu are getting proper compensation for any disruptions during construction.
This is impressive engineering work. The Shinkansen technology from Japan is top-notch. If we can complete the 21 km underground and undersea tunnel in Maharashtra, the bullet train will truly be a game changer for travel between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Ab to time bachayenge! 🚄
Good to see NHSRCL focusing on safety with those geotechnical instruments and ventilation systems. Tunnelling in the Deccan Traps is notoriously difficult. If they can deliver this on time, India's high-speed rail credentials will be solid.
Seven out of eight mountain tunnels are in Palghar district alone! That's a heavy concentration. I wonder if the cost overruns are being properly managed. The project needs to be transparent about how much each tunnel costs – we don't want another big infrastructure project going over budget.
The progress on MT-03 and MT-04 is encouraging. But I'm more interested in how they're handling the undersea tunnel near the coast. That's the real engineering marvel. Hopefully we'll see similar updates on that front soon.
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