Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai: In a historic advancement in the field of railways in India, the construction of the bullet train corridor being built between Mumbai to Ahmedabad is going on at a rapid pace. 21 km of this 508 km long corridor will be underground, and as its most special aspect, a 7 km long tunnel is being built under the Arabian Sea. This tunnel will be India's first undersea railway tunnel, which will be at a depth of 25 to 65 meters below the sea surface. The project will use state-of-the-art technology and huge tunnel boring machines (TBM).

Underground route full of technical challenges

This underground route will extend from Bandra-Kurla Complex in Maharashtra to Shilphata, and will also include a 7 km long tunnel under the sea. The construction of this tunnel will be challenging, especially in the undersea portion, where not only the force of the sea will have to be dealt with, but many technical difficulties will also have to be faced. Inside this tunnel, the bullet train will run at a speed of 320 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest train in India.

Use of special technology and machines

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited has contracted with Afcons Infrastructure Limited for this project. The company will use the largest tunnel boring machine, which will have a diameter of 13.1 meters, to build the country's first undersea rail tunnel. This machine was previously used in the Mumbai Coastal Road Project. Apart from this, this year Afcons has deployed 20 tunnel boring machines for various underground projects. Excavation work is underway for the construction of the tunnel at Ghansoli, Shilphata, and Vikhroli, and the first tunnel boring machine is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

Construction of underground route and sea tunnel

16 km of this underground route will be excavated with the help of tunnel boring machines, while the remaining 5 km will use the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). This is the first time a tunnel is being built under the sea, so such tunnel boring machines were not available in the country till now. Its parts are being procured from different countries and they will be assembled here.

Excavation work continues at three places

Excavation work is going on at three main locations for tunnel construction—Ghansoli, Shilphata, and Vikhroli. At Ghansoli, the first TBM is planned to be installed by the end of this year, which will be excavated from a 39-meter deep shaft towards Thane Creek. Engineers have already completed digging 120 meters towards Bandra Kurla Complex and 110 meters at Shilphata. This project not only symbolizes the technological advancement of India but will also usher in a new era in the transportation facilities of the country where passengers will not only get a chance to travel at a faster speed but will also be able to experience an amazing journey under the Arabian Sea.