So another big update on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is out . It really feels like things are moving at some speed now,at least in some sections .
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has confirmed that they've finished third mountain tunnel in Maharashtra . This one is tunnel MT-07 and it's located in Ambesari village in Palghar district. This is not small thing ah,tunnels are very complex work.
And this tunnel is quite big . It's 417 meters long and 14.4 meters wide,which is enough for both the up and down tracks to pass through.
They used a controlled drilling and blasting method to excavate it from both ends . And tbh,the amount of technology they are using for safety sounds pretty serious. They had all these geotechnical instruments and real-time monitoring systems running all the time.
Things like Surface Settlement Points and strain gauges were used to track vibrations and tunnel behaviour during work . Plus they had proper ventilation systems and fire protection for workers. It's good to see they are taking safety seriously.
Few things standing out clearly from this update:
- The third mountain tunnel,MT-07,is now fully excavated in Palghar.
- This completes all three mountain tunnels between Vapi and Boisar stations.
- Advanced safety measures like real-time monitoring were used during construction.
This breakthrough comes after two other tunnels,MT-05 and MT-06,were completed in January and February . So within last five months only,they have finished three big tunnels. That's some consistent progress .
But this is just one part of massive project . The whole corridor is 508 km long and will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad with 12 stations. The train is supposed to run at 320 km/h using that Japanese Shinkansen technology,cutting travel time to just over two hours.
And at same time,huge amount of work is still going on . Viaducts,river bridges and that super complex 21 km underground and undersea tunnel in Maharashtra still need to be finished.
So yes,one more milestone is achieved which is great news . But when you think about entire 508 km line,especially the more difficult parts… you just wonder when it will all finally connect…
