Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train: First mountain tunnel breakthrough achieved

AImportant milepost was achieved in India's number one slug rail corridor with the breakthrough of a high-speed mountain tunnel at Maharashtra's Palghar, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, said on Friday."A major milestone has been achieved in the Bullet Train Project. This milestone is the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5. In the entire Bullet Train Project, there are seven mountain tunnels and one undersea tunnel," Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a press conference. The total length of the project spans 508 kilometres, with tunnels covering 27.4 kilometres, of which 21 kilometres are underground and 6.4 kilometres are surface tunnels. The project includes eight mountain tunnels, seven in Maharashtra, totalling 6.05 kilometres and one in Gujarat measuring 350 metres.The first underground tunnel, approximately 5 kilometres long, was completed between Thane and BKC in September 2025. The second tunnel, TM5, measuring 1.48 kilometres (excluding hood and portals: 1.39 kilometres), is located in Palghar district. MT5 is the first and longest tunnel in the series of seven mountain tunnels.Also read: PM to flag off first Vande Bharat sleeper train this month: Vaishnaw | India NewsVaishnaw, further updating about the project said, "There are a total of 12 stations in this project...Sabarmati serves as the terminal station, while in Mumbai, the terminal station is BKC. Three depots are being constructed. Typically, a stretch of 508 kilometres would require only two depots. However, three depots had to be planned because, for a long period, the then Maharashtra government under Uddhav Thackeray's tenure withheld permissions and approvals. Due to this delay, additional arrangements became necessary."Last Month, the Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train project successfully completed the launch of a 130 m span of a 230 m (130 100) long steel bridge over National Highway-64 and Bharuch Dahej freight line of Indian Railway tracks near Kanthariya village, Bharuch district, Gujarat.Also read: First Bullet train ride between Surat to Bilimora in 2027: Check routes, fares & other details | India NewsThis continuous steel bridge features two spans of 130 m and 100 m. The 130 m span of this steel bridge was launched on 9th December 2025. Measuring approximately 18 m in height and 14.9 m in width, it weighs around 2780 metric tons. Fabricated at the workshop in Bhuj, Gujarat, the steel bridges are designed for a 100-year lifespan, according to the official press release.Constructed with approximately 1,22,146 Tor-Shear Type High Strength (TTHS) bolts, C5 system painting and metallic bearings, the bridge was assembled on temporary trestles at a height of 14 m above the ground and was pushed using two semi-automatic jacks, each capable of lifting 250 tons with mac-alloy bars.The bridge launching was completed within 12 hours with intermittent blocks on freight tracks and road diversion on NH-64. These blocks were crucial to maintaining safety and ensuring precise execution during the phased launching process. All activities were carefully planned to minimize disruption to road users as well as ongoing freight operations.The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor spans approximately 508 kilometres, covering 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and 156 km in Maharashtra. The corridor will connect major cities, including Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane, and Mumbai, marking a transformative step in India's transportation infrastructure.Built with advanced engineering techniques on par with international standards, the project features 465 km (about 85% of the route) on viaducts, ensuring minimal land disturbance and enhanced safety. So far, 326 km of viaduct work has been completed, and 17 out of 25 river bridges have already been constructed.Upon completion, the Bullet Train will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to nearly two hours, revolutionising inter-city travel by making it faster, easier, and more comfortable. The project is expected to boost business, tourism, and economic activity along the entire corridor, catalysing regional development.