High-Speed Underworld: Bullet Train’s Tunnel Project Transforms Indian Rail Travel

Image Source: Times of India

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached a milestone, as construction on the ambitious 21-km undersea tunnel connecting Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata is making great strides. The engineering wonder that includes a 7-km undersea route under Thane Creek will redefined high-speed travel in the country.

Important Points:

Progress at BKC: The digging at the Mumbai station at BKC has reached 75% and more than 14 lakh cubic metres of earth has already been excavated. Base slab casting is in progress and would need a whopping 2 lakh cubic metres of concrete to the most extreme level, 32 meters below the surface—a 10-story building equivalent.
Tunnel Construction: 16 km of the 21-km tunnel is being bored through using huge Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), and the rest 5 km is employing the sophisticated New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). Twin tracks will be accommodated in the tunnel and will go as deep as 114 meters below Parsik Hill.
Safety & Accuracy: There are strict safety protocols, such as state-of-the-art ventilation, geotechnical monitoring, and controlled disposal of excavated material. The Mahape casting yard is manufacturing 77,000 concrete segments for the lining of the tunnel.
National Impact: With 360 km of the corridor already completed and 1 lakh jobs created, the project is a flagship of India's infrastructural revolution, promising a high-speed rail revolution connecting Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad.

Source: Indian Express, The Hindu BusinessLine, Financial Express