80 per cent Work Done on Mumbai Bullet Train’s BKC Station

10 Jul 2025 CW Team

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation of India Limited (NHSRCL) announced significant progress on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project, with 80 per cent of excavation completed at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station site in Mumbai.

The 21-kilometre-long underground and undersea tunnel connecting BKC to Shilphata in Thane district includes 16 kilometres being excavated using Tunnel Boring Machines and the remaining 5 kilometres via the New Austrian Tunnelling Method.

The NHSRCL, which is implementing the 508-kilometre Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, stated that base slab casting has already begun at both ends of the BKC station, which lies around 30 metres (100 feet) below ground level.

Base slab casting is also complete at Vikhroli (56 metres deep) and the Sawli shaft (39 metres deep), both critical for launching the tunnel boring machines and facilitating underground works.

Meanwhile, construction of elevated stations at Thane, Virar, and Boisar in Maharashtra is progressing rapidly, with approximately 44 kilometres of piers cast to date. In Palghar district, excavation of seven mountain tunnels is underway, alongside the construction of bridges across the Vaitarna, Ulhas, and Jagani rivers.

The total project cost is estimated at Rs 1.08 trillion (Rs 1.08 lakh crore). As per the funding structure, the Government of India will contribute Rs 100 billion (Rs 10,000 crore), while the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra will each provide Rs 50 billion (Rs 5,000 crore). The balance will be funded by Japan through a soft loan at an interest rate of 0.1 per cent.

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