Vaishnaw conducts breakthrough of bullet train tunnel; says first phase to start in 2027

Thane: Amid cheers and chants of ‘Barat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’, breakthrough was achieved in the 4.88 km section of India’s first undersea tunnel under the Thane Creek - a significant step for the Bullet Train project.

This is an important development of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), which is making the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, popularly known as the Bullet Train project. The breakthrough was achieved for the tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was present at the Ghansoli shaft when this breakthrough was achieved by way of a controlled blast.

The tunnel is a part of the 21-km underground stretch between the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata, including a seven-km segment beneath Thane Creek.

It was excavated using the New Austrian Tunnel Method (NATM).

The tunnel, excavated with a width of 12.6 metres, has been designed to accommodate twin tracks within a single tube of 13.1 metres diameter, allowing trains to move in both directions.

“This is a major milestone for the Bullet Train project…it is a landmark achievement,” Vaishnaw said even as he shook hands with the officers and workers who had made the achievement.

“The high-speed corridor on the Surat-Bilimora section will start in December 2027, later covering Thane in 2028 and the Bandra Kurla Complex in 2029,” the Railway Minister told reporters, adding that the Bullet Train would be a transport of the middle-class with reasonable fares.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis posted on X calling it a historic achievement.

“This achievement is not only a symbol of engineering prowess, but in the times to come, this world-class project will also give a new momentum to the economies of the major cities of both states. This milestone in the direction of time-bound implementation is a historic achievement."