Construction has begun on India?s first seven-kilometer undersea rail tunnel, which is part of the 21-kilometer long tunnel between BKC and Shilphata in Mumbai, as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, according to the latest update from the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL). NHSRCL reported that 194 km of viaduct and 322 km of pier work have been completed. Additionally, three steel bridges of 70 meters, 100 meters, and 130 meters have been finished in Surat, Anand, and Vadodara, respectively. Bridge construction over nine of the 24 rivers along the bullet train corridor has been completed. These rivers include Par (Valsad district), Purna (Navsari district), Mindhola (Navsari district), Ambika (Navsari district), Auranga (Valsad district), Venganiya (Navsari district), Mohar (Kheda district), Dhadhar (Vadodara district), and Kolak River (Valsad district). Work on other significant rivers like Narmada, Tapti, Mahi, and Sabarmati is on-going. The first mountain tunnel, 350 meters long and 12.6 meters in diameter, near Zaroli Village in Valsad, Gujarat, is complete. The foundation work for eight bullet train stations in Gujarat (Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati) has also been completed. Structural work for the Surat depot has been finished, and the earthwork for the Sabarmati rolling stock depot, as well as the basement foundation for the administrative building, is completed. Survey and design works are in progress at the Thane rolling stock depot. Track laying in Gujarat is advancing well, with over 35,000 MT of rails and three sets of track construction machinery received at Surat and Vadodara. Assembly, testing, and commissioning of these machines are in progress. The 394-meter Additionally Driven Intermediate Tunnel (ADIT) at Ghansoli has been excavated. Excavation for the Mumbai Bullet Train station has begun, with groundworks underway at Thane, Virar, and Boisar stations. Recently, over 100 foundations have been completed for pier work of the elevated section. Work on five mountain tunnels has commenced in the Palghar district. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in March that the bullet train project is expected to be operational by 2026, with initial services starting between Surat and Bilimora. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has been making steady progress since November 2021, despite initial delays due to land acquisition challenges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched the project in Ahmedabad on September 14, 2017. The NHSRCL was incorporated on February 12, 2016, to finance, construct, maintain, and manage the High-Speed Rail Corridor in India. The project is a joint venture with equity participation from the Central Government, through the Ministry of Railways, and the Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra. According to the 2015 Joint Feasibility Study, the project was estimated to cost Rs 1080 billion with an expected completion period of eight years. (Source: ET & ANI)