In a landmark development for India’s first bullet train project, NHSRCL has successfully launched a full‑span, 40‑metre prestressed concrete box girder near Sakhare village in Dahanu. Weighing around 970 metric tonnes, the monolithic girder was cast using 390 cubic metres of concrete and 42 tonnes of steel—making it the heaviest pre‑stressed concrete girder ever installed in India. This full‑span launching method bypasses construction joints, enhancing the structural integrity of elevated viaducts and accelerating progress by up to ten times compared to traditional segmental techniques.
NHSRCL deployed indigenous equipment—including straddle carriers, bridge‑launching gantries, and girder transporters—to precisely manoeuvre and fix the girder in place, demonstrating India’s growing self‑sufficiency in complex rail infrastructure. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High‑Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR) spans 508 km, with approximately 90 % being elevated sections. As of May 2025, NHSRCL reports that 300 km of viaducts are complete—of which over 257 km have been built using the full‑span method—showcasing the speed and efficiency gains from this engineering leap.
This latest girder was the first in the Maharashtra section, complementing similar installations in Gujarat since 2021. Over 13 casting yards have been established along the Maharashtra–Gujarat alignment, equipped with advanced batching plants, rebar jigs, cement silos and quality labs to ensure high standards and uninterrupted workflow.
Beyond technical superiority, this build‑method supports sustainable infrastructure. Faster construction minimizes emissions from machinery and labour, while high‑integrity girders reduce long‑term maintenance—supporting the corridor’s eco‑friendly mandate. As India prioritises low‑carbon urban and intercity transport, such innovations are key to aligning infrastructure projects with environmental and equity goals. Yet challenges remain. A recent gantry skid incident near Ahmedabad in March 2025 raised caution about site safety during high‑speed operations. Commentators called it a ‘segmental launching gantry skid’ that disrupted adjacent rail traffic—but without casualties, and normal flows were restored in 24 hours. NHSRCL’s attention to equipment reliability and worker safety protocols will be paramount in sustaining scale‑up.
Looking ahead, further full‑span installations will accelerate completion across the corridor’s elevated sections, including river bridges, tunnels and stations. With both engineering milestones and safety lessons learned, the bullet train project exemplifies how India is embedding resilience, precision, and local expertise into high‑speed infrastructure.
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