Bullet Train progress: Tunnelling work completed for five-km tunnel

Work on a 5 km tunnel, part of the 21 km tunnel of India’s first bullet train Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor, has been completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), said National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) officials on Thursday (April 2, 2026).

The 5-km tunnel, which passes between Ghansoli and Shilphata, is part of the 508-km-long MAHSR, connecting Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

“With excavation complete, work has now advanced to the next stages of tunnel construction. The tunnel has the drainage system built using a Drainage Casting Gantry — the seepage water is safely collected and channelled to a drainage system for the tunnel,” said an NHSRCL official, adding reinforcement bar cages are installed along the tunnel profile, forming the steel framework that strengthens the final concrete lining.

So far, 343 km viaduct and 434 km pier work have been completed, along with 17 river bridges, 05 PSC (pre-stressed concrete) and 13 steel bridges completed.

According to the official statement, over 5.6 lakh noise barriers have been installed along 280 km of stretch, and 360 track km (180 route km) of RC track bed construction have been completed. The work completed also includes over 6900 OHE masts installed, covering around 159 route km of the mainline viaduct and breakthrough has been achieved for two mountain tunnels out of the seven.