Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Electrification Begins

17 Jan 2025 CW Team

The electrification work for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor has kicked off, with the first two steel masts erected at a height of 14 meters on the viaduct between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat. National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) announced that over 20,000 masts, ranging from 9.5 to 14.5 meters, will be installed along the corridor to support the Overhead Equipment (OHE) system for the Bullet train.

Promoting the 'Make in India' initiative, the OHE masts, built to Japanese specifications, are manufactured in India. These masts will support the 2x25 kV overhead traction system, essential for high-speed train operations.

In another significant development, the construction of a 210-meter-long pre-stressed concrete (PSC) bridge over National Highway-48 at Dabhan village, Gujarat, was completed on January 13, 2025. This bridge, part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, was built using the Balanced Cantilever Method and spans 40 meters + 65 meters + 65 meters + 40 meters.

Progress continues with the completion of 253 kilometers of viaduct work, 290 kilometers of girder casting, and 358 kilometers of pier construction. Notably, bridges over 13 rivers and five steel bridges have been completed, and noise barriers have been installed along approximately 112 kilometers. Track construction has also begun at multiple locations in Gujarat.

Additionally, a 21-kilometer tunnel is under construction between Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Thane in Maharashtra, with seven mountain tunnels being developed in Palghar district using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). One mountain tunnel in Valsad district, Gujarat, has already been completed.

This high-speed rail project, connecting key business centers such as Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, is expected to have an Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) of 11.8%, as per a feasibility study by JICA.

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