Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: 21-km Tunnel Work Underway Between BKC And Shilphata

Construction is in full swing on the 21-kilometer-long tunnel connecting Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to Shilphata in Thane as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. Out of the total length, approximately 3.3 kilometers of tunnel heading has already been completed. This progress includes excavation from the Shilphata end and two additional tunnel faces launched via the ADIT portal, using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).

The tunnel will include Maharashtra’s first-ever 7-kilometer underwater section, located between BKC and Shilphata. Of the total 21 kilometers, 16 kilometers will be constructed using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), while the remaining 5 kilometers will be excavated using NATM.

Shaft construction has also made significant progress, with the Vikhroli and Sawli shafts reaching depths of 56 meters and 39 meters, respectively.

VIDEO | The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project spans 508 km with 12 stations across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. As of April 18, 2025, over 293 km of viaduct is built, alongside 375 km of pier work and 394 km of foundations. Bridges over 14 rivers are… pic.twitter.com/5QEQxlhcoH

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 21, 2025

In addition, seven mountain tunnels are under construction in Palghar district using NATM. Structural work for six out of the eight stations in Gujarat has been completed, and construction has begun on all three elevated stations.

In Maharashtra, significant work is underway at the Mumbai Bullet Train station site. Approximately 75% of the required 1.87 million cubic meters of earthwork (about 1.4 million cubic meters) has already been excavated. The base slab, which will be the deepest construction level at the station, is currently being cast. Around 25,000 cubic meters of the estimated 200,000 cubic meters of concrete required for the base slab has already been poured. Each slab casting involves 3,000 to 4,000 cubic meters of temperature-controlled concrete, produced on-site using dedicated batching and chiller plants. All 3,384 secant piles required for the site have been completed.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor spans 508 kilometers, with 352 kilometers passing through Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and 156 kilometers through Maharashtra. The project will include 12 stations: Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati.

To date, 293 kilometers of viaduct, 375 kilometers of pier work, 320 kilometers of girder casting, and 14 river bridges have been completed.

Once operational, the bullet trains will run at a speed of 320 km/h, significantly reducing travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.