Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Achieves Key Tunnel Breakthrough, First Phase to Roll Out in 2027
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Achieves Key Tunnel Breakthrough, First Phase to Roll Out in 2027
India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has crossed a major milestone with the completion of a 4.88 km-long tunnel between Shilphata and Ghansoli. The breakthrough, achieved on Saturday morning, was personally initiated by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who termed it a landmark step in building the country’s first high-speed rail corridor.
Speaking at the site, Vaishnaw stressed that the bullet train is being designed for everyday Indians, with fares aimed at being affordable for middle-class commuters. He underlined the project’s time-saving potential, noting that the nine-hour road journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will soon shrink to just two hours and seven minutes once the train becomes operational.
The first section of the corridor — Surat to Bilimora — is scheduled to open in December 2027. Thane will be linked in the second phase by 2028, while the final stretch to Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is expected by 2029.
The tunnel breakthrough forms part of a 21-km underground section between BKC and Shilphata, which includes a challenging 7-km stretch under Thane Creek. Built using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), the tunnel is a single-tube structure with a 13.1-metre diameter, wide enough to accommodate two tracks for trains moving in opposite directions.
Construction began in May 2024, with excavation carried out in three phases. A significant achievement came in July when engineers completed a 2.7 km continuous stretch. An additional access tunnel was also created to speed up work from both ends. The next steps will involve waterproofing, interior lining, track installation, and fitting of electrification and signaling systems. The remaining 16 km of the tunnel will be dug using advanced tunnel boring machines (TBMs).
On operational plans, Vaishnaw said trains will run every 30 minutes during peak hours, with frequency increasing to every 10 minutes once the network reaches full capacity. Passengers will also enjoy the convenience of boarding without advance reservations.
Progress on the wider project is also impressive: out of the 508-km corridor, 321 km of viaducts and 398 km of piers are already complete. The NHSRCL has also built 17 river bridges, nine major steel bridges, and installed over four lakh noise barriers along 206 km of track. Track beds are ready for 206 km, while more than 2,000 overhead equipment masts have been erected.
