The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited announced that the excavation work for the 394-meter-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project in Navi Mumbai has been completed.
NHSRCL, the executing body of the ambitious project, said the completion of an additional driven intermediate tunnel at Ghansoli will expedite the construction of the 21 km long tunnel between Bandra-Kurla Complex and Shilphata in Maharashtra.
The successful excavation of the Additional Driven Intermediate Tunnel (ADIT) at Ghansoli is an important step for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.
The 394-meter-long tunnel was built in the shortest time of six months. This important effort will expedite the construction of the 21 km long tunnel between Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai, and Shilphata, Thane.
It said high-end equipment was used to ensure safe excavation and 214 controlled explosions were carried out using 27,515 kg of explosives under the supervision of experts.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav (earlier on Twitter) shared a one-minute video of the tunnel’s success.
Big milestone achieved for undersea tunnel in Bullet train project. pic.twitter.com/jAthXHPN4C
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (मोदी का परिवार) (@AshwiniVaishnaw) May 26, 2024
The 26 meter deep inclined ADIT will be able to construct a main tunnel of 3.3 kilometers out of the total length of 5 kilometers using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). This section of the main tunnel is expected to be completed in 14 months.
ADIt will provide direct vehicular access to the main tunnel during construction and operation, as well as adequate lighting, ventilation, and road access.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, which is maintained by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), has started construction of a 21-km long tunnel, including a 7-km long undersea tunnel.
The tunnel will be a single tube, accommodating twin tracks for both up and down trains. Besides, 39 equipment rooms will also be built at 37 locations adjacent to the tunnel area.
Approximately 16 kilometers of the tunnel length is to be covered using three TBMs and the remaining 5 kilometers as the TBM diameter is 13.6 meters, which is much larger than the 5-6 meter diameter cutter head common in urban tunnels. Will be created using NATM.
The tunnel will be 25 to 57 meters deep below ground level, with a depth of 114 meters below Parsik Hill near Shilphata.