MUMBAI AHMEDABAD HIGH SPEED RAIL from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

MUMBAI AHMEDABAD HIGH SPEED RAIL

• On September 20, 2025, a major breakthrough was achieved in the excavation of a 4.8 km undersea tunnel beneath the Mumbai-Thane Creek.
• This is a significant milestone in the construction of India’s first bullet train corridor under the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project.
• Project Executing Agency: National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL)
• Tunnel Location: Undersea section between Ghansoli and Shilphata on Mumbai-Thane Creek
• Total Length of Planned Undersea Tunnel: 21 km

• India’s first undersea rail tunnel
• Constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM)
• Includes safety systems:
  • Ground settlement markers
  • Piezometers
  • Inclinometers
  • Strain gauges
• Built as a single tunnel to accommodate two bullet trains simultaneously

• Total Project Cost: ?1.08 lakh crore
• Viaduct Constructed: 320 km completed
• First Operational Section:
  • Surat to Bilimora by 2027
  • Extended to Thane by 2028
  • Reaches Bandra Kurla Complex (Mumbai) by 2029
• Current Travel Time (Mumbai-Ahmedabad): ~9 hours
• Planned Bullet Train Time: 2 hours 7 minutes
• Average Speed: 320 kmph

• Project is backed by Japan, under a high-level partnership
• E10 Shinkansen – Japan’s next-gen bullet train – to be introduced in India
• Training for Indian Loco Pilots and Maintenance Staff ongoing in Japan using simulators

• Initial Frequency: Every 30 minutes during peak hour
• Future Frequency: Reduced to 20 minutes, eventually to 10 minutes
• Fare: Will be "reasonable" and affordable to middle class (exact structure not yet declared)

• Delays:
  • ~5 years delay due to lack of permissions under previous Maharashtra government
  • Cost escalation under discussion with Japanese authorities
• Cracks in Houses:
  • 78 houses along the corridor developed cracks
  • IIT Bombay survey underway
  • Precaution guidelines being prepared and will be released post-state government approvals

• Will connect major commercial centres:
  • Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Surat, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad
• Expected to:
  • Integrate regional economies
  • Create a multiplier effect, similar to Japan’s Tokyo–Osaka corridor
  • Promote high-speed rail manufacturing, urban development, and employment