Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project: Railways postpones formal launch of tunneling work due to inclement weather
Despite this, tunneling work will begin immediately to avoid delays. The project aims to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad with high-speed rail by 2027, with 80% completion reported.Workers are seen at the construction site of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed bullet rail project in Mumbai on June 25, 2026. (AFP)The railway ministry on Saturday postponed the formal launch of tunnel-boring work for the bullet train project in Mumbai due to inclement weather. According to PTI, the decision was taken following the 'red' and 'orange' alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Mumbai due to the heavy rains in the Maharashtra capital.Formal launch postponed, work continuesRailway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was scheduled to inaugurate the underground tunnel-boring work from Vikhroli to the Bandra Kurla Complex station in Mumbai on Sunday, marking the maiden use of a tunnel boring machine for the country's first bullet train project, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad."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 told PTI."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.Tunnel-boring for bullet train projectAccording to officials, the underground tunnel-boring work, being done by Afcons Infrastructure Limited, will now start the TBM operation for the timely completion and launch of the bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.Officials said the first TBM will begin tunnelling from Vikhroli towards the BKC station, covering a distance of approximately 5.8 km.The second TBM is currently being assembled at Sawli and is expected to be ready within a week. It will excavate the 9.7-km stretch from Sawli to Vikhroli, including the 7-km undersea section.Each TBM is expected to excavate around 300 metres of tunnel every month. Once both machines become operational, around 600 metres of tunnelling will be completed every month.Explaining the project, officials said the 20.37-km tunnel stretches from the BKC station to Shilphata."Of the total length, 15.4 km between BKC and Sawli will be excavated using TBMs. The remaining 4.8-km stretch from Sawli to Shilphata has already been completed using the drill-and-blast method," they said.The tunnel will be a single-tube pathway which will accommodate twin tracks for bi-directional traffic.Two shafts at Vikhroli and Sawli, at approximate depths of 56 and 39 metres, will facilitate the construction. Thirty-nine equipment rooms at 37 locations will also be constructed adjoining the tunnel location as part of the package.Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor will will be inaugurated in 2027The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, India's first bullet train project, spans 508 km and aims to provide high-speed connectivity between Maharashtra and Gujarat.Meanwhile, on Saturday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project will be inaugurated in 2027."The first section of the Bullet Train from Surat to Bilimora will be inaugurated in 2027. Thereafter, the Wapi-Surat section, followed by Wapi-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Thane and finally Ahmedabad-Mumbai will be completed in phases. The work is progressing very fast," he said.The Union Minister added that nearly 80 per cent of the work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project had been completed and that efforts were underway to complete the project within the stipulated timeline.Key TakeawaysThe Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is India’s first high-speed rail initiative, covering 508 km.80% of the project's work is
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