Third Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough Boosts Bullet Train Progress

09 Jun 2026 CW Team

The MT-07 mountain tunnel measures 417 metres in length and 14.4 metres in width and has been designed to accommodate both up and down tracks of the bullet train corridor. Excavation was completed by controlled drilling and blasting from both ends and was supported by advanced engineering and safety protocols. Construction teams applied industry-standard methods to integrate structural support and alignment for high-speed operations.

Throughout tunnelling, sophisticated monitoring systems and geotechnical instruments were deployed to ensure stability and worker safety. Real-time arrangements included surface settlement points, three-dimensional targets, strain gauges and seismographs to track vibrations and tunnel behaviour, while ventilation, fire-safety systems and controlled access managed site safety. Continuous geotechnical supervision and data-driven adjustments were described by engineers as central to precise execution and risk management.

The latest breakthrough follows earlier completions in the Maharashtra section, notably MT-05 at one point five km near Saphale and the MT-06 tunnel of 454 metres completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. Of the seven mountain tunnels under construction in Maharashtra, three have now achieved breakthroughs, while MT-03 has crossed 80 per cent excavation progress, and MT-04 has reached nearly 60 per cent. Tunnelling between Vapi and Boisar has been completed, and work in the industrial corridor linking Boisar and Vapi is proceeding rapidly, reflecting the adoption of advanced tunnelling and monitoring technology that will strengthen capabilities in high-speed rail infrastructure.

A major engineering milestone has been completed on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor with the breakthrough of the third mountain tunnel, MT-07, at Ambesari village in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district, Maharashtra. The development was announced by the project authority and noted on social media by a government minister, underlining rapid progress in this technically challenging section. The achievement brings three mountain tunnel breakthroughs in Maharashtra within five months. The MT-07 mountain tunnel measures 417 metres in length and 14.4 metres in width and has been designed to accommodate both up and down tracks of the bullet train corridor. Excavation was completed by controlled drilling and blasting from both ends and was supported by advanced engineering and safety protocols. Construction teams applied industry-standard methods to integrate structural support and alignment for high-speed operations. Throughout tunnelling, sophisticated monitoring systems and geotechnical instruments were deployed to ensure stability and worker safety. Real-time arrangements included surface settlement points, three-dimensional targets, strain gauges and seismographs to track vibrations and tunnel behaviour, while ventilation, fire-safety systems and controlled access managed site safety. Continuous geotechnical supervision and data-driven adjustments were described by engineers as central to precise execution and risk management. The latest breakthrough follows earlier completions in the Maharashtra section, notably MT-05 at one point five km near Saphale and the MT-06 tunnel of 454 metres completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. Of the seven mountain tunnels under construction in Maharashtra, three have now achieved breakthroughs, while MT-03 has crossed 80 per cent excavation progress, and MT-04 has reached nearly 60 per cent. Tunnelling between Vapi and Boisar has been completed, and work in the industrial corridor linking Boisar and Vapi is proceeding rapidly, reflecting the adoption of advanced tunnelling and monitoring technology that will strengthen capabilities in high-speed rail infrastructure.

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