The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (Bullet Train) project has reached a significant milestone with the awarding of a substantial contract worth Rs 156.97 billion to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL). L&T secured the contract for Package C-3, which involves the construction of the longest elevated stretch in Maharashtra, covering 135.45 km from Shilphata to Zaroli. The package will include three stations at Thane, Virar, and Boisar.The contract signing ceremony is scheduled to take place later this month, and L&T emerged as the successful bidder among three other contenders during the financial bid opening last month. The timeline for completing the project is set at 1704 days, which amounts to approximately 4.66 years.The scope of the contract encompasses the design and construction of civil and building works, along with testing and commissioning, on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price Basis. This includes the construction of the double-line high-speed railway, viaducts, bridges (excluding the fabrication and transportation of steel truss girder components), maintenance depot, earth structures, tunnels, and the Thane, Virar, and Boisar stations. The project stretches from Shilphata in Maharashtra to Zaroli at the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, covering a distance from MAHSR Km 21.150 to MAHSR Km 156.600 (excluding Thane Depot).By securing this latest contract, L&T is now entrusted with the responsibility of constructing 469.32 km (approximately 92.35 per cent of the main-line) from Shilphata Ramp on the outskirts of Mumbai to Ahmedabad’s southern outskirts. This marks the final civil package of the entire main-line to be awarded, signifying a major step forward in the project's progress. The first package, Package C4, covering 237.1 km of the main-line, was awarded in November 2020.The completion of Package C-3 will bring the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project closer to its much-anticipated realisation, greatly improving connectivity and travel efficiency between the two cities.