A 160-metre-long bridge over the Kolak river in Gujarat’s Valsad district has been completed by The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a major milestone in the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.
The NHSRCL has completed the construction of nine of the 24 river bridges on the high-speed rail corridor, including this bridge. The newly constructed bridge, built between Vapi and Bilimora stations, is made of four full-span girders, each 40 meters long.
The Kolak River originates from the Saputara Hills near Valaveri and flows into the Arabian Sea. It is seven kilometers from Vapi and 43 kilometers from Bilimora railway station.
Out of the 24 river bridges of the Bullet Train Corridor, 20 are being built in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. In January 2023, the first 320-metre-long river bridge was completed between Vapi and Bilimora stations in the Valsad district of Gujarat.
NHSRCL said that the construction of bridges on several rivers like Par and Auranga in Valsad, Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, and Vengania in Navsari, Mohar in Kheda, and Dhadhar in Vadodara region has been completed. Bridges are being built on the Narmada, Tapti, Mahi, and Sabarmati rivers.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor will have 12 stations, of which eight will be in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. The corridor is 508 km long. These stations in Gujarat are Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, and Vapi. In Maharashtra, there will be stations in Mumbai, Boisar, Virar, and Thane.
NHSRCL is constructing these stations at a rapid pace. The foundation work at all eight stations in Gujarat has been completed and the construction of the structure is in the final stages.
These stations will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and amenities, and some will be made transport hubs where different types of vehicles like buses, taxis, and autos will be integrated for seamless connectivity.
All government contracts should be sent to the project by July 2. NHSRCL has built 190 km of viaduct and 321 km of piers. According to the NI report, land has been acquired for the project in Maharashtra, Dadra Nagar Haveli, and Gujarat.
NHSRCL said that the first mountain tunnel of 350 meters has been completed near Jaroli village in Valsad, and work has started on India’s first 7 km long undersea rail tunnel. The tunnel is part of the 21 km long stretch between BKC and Shilphata in Maharashtra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe officially launched the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train in Gujarat on September 14, 2017. The 508-km journey will be completed in three to three-and-a-half hours.
The government aims to launch the first bullet train service between Surat and Bilimora in south Gujarat by 2026.
The NHSRCL aims to complete the bullet train project by 2028, reducing travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad by three hours.