The first undersea tunnel, part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail, popularly known as the Bullet Train Project, is taking shape. Approximately 340 km of the 508 km corridor is now in an advanced stage of construction, according to Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. During his visit on Saturday, Vaishnaw inspected the project through the Additional Driven Intermediate Tunnel (ADIT) access at Mhape in Navi Mumbai. He emphasized that the project will play a crucial role in strengthening the Indian economy.
The initial 21 km of the Mumbai corridor is underground, with work currently underway. This section includes a 7 km undersea tunnel beneath the Thane Creek, a first for India.
In Navi Mumbai, a 394-meter-long ADIT tunnel at Mhape has been completed. This tunnel connects to the main bullet train tunnel, facilitating construction and serving as an emergency access route. Constructed in May 2024, the ADIT tunnel has enabled the completion of 1,111 meters of tunneling work—622 meters towards Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) out of 1,562 meters, and 489 meters towards Ahmedabad out of 1,628 meters.
Vaishnaw highlighted the significance of the undersea tunnel, noting, "This is the country’s first undersea tunnel. While Kolkata has an underwater river tunnel, this will be India’s first undersea tunnel. The design allows two trains to cross at speeds of 250 km/h, with a single train capable of running at 320 km/h."
He also shared updates on the overall progress: "The High-Speed Rail project is advancing well, with significant progress on bridges over rivers and station construction. Around 340 km of the corridor is at an advanced stage of completion."
The Minister praised the engineering marvel at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) station, stating, "The station will be an engineering milestone. It is located below a nearly 10-floor structure and above a 60-floor building." He added that other stations would also showcase advanced engineering techniques.
A Japanese delegation recently visited the project and expressed satisfaction with its progress, Vaishnaw noted.