India’s first high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is seeing rapid progress, with the project crossing several critical construction benchmarks.
The ambitious 508-kilometre infrastructure initiative—156 km in Maharashtra and 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli—is steadily transforming from blueprint to concrete reality. As of mid-April 2025, over 293 kilometres of viaduct structure, which will carry the high-speed trains across cities, fields and rivers, has been completed. This development marks a significant stride in one of the most technically sophisticated transport projects ever undertaken in the country. The bullet train corridor is poised to revolutionise intercity travel by drastically cutting commute time while offering a sustainable, low-emission alternative to conventional road and air transport. Of the 12 proposed stations along the route—including those in Mumbai, Thane, Virar and Ahmedabad—civil construction is complete at six of the eight stations located in Gujarat. Work on Mumbai’s underground station near Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the only underground terminus on the route, has also reached an advanced stage, with 75 percent of the massive 18.7 lakh cubic metre excavation already completed.
Base slab casting has commenced at the Mumbai site, with temperature-controlled concrete being poured using advanced in-situ batching and chiller plant systems. This ensures structural integrity amid the region’s extreme weather conditions. The use of green construction practices and precision engineering tools underlines India’s commitment to sustainable and future-ready transport infrastructure. On the ground, the numbers tell a compelling story: 394 km of pier foundations and 375 km of pier work are now complete. Girder casting has reached the 320 km mark, and 14 major river bridges spanning across districts like Valsad, Navsari, Kheda and Vadodara have been constructed. Pre-stressed concrete and steel bridges, along with noise barriers—over three lakh units installed across 150 km—signal the scale and pace of this national priority project.
Progress has also accelerated on the track and tunnel front. Track bed construction has covered 143 km in Gujarat, and welding of rails into long panels is underway on elevated viaducts. In Maharashtra, tunnel boring work for the 21-km stretch between BKC and Shilphata continues using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), with over 3.3 km of tunnel heading completed. Shafts at Vikhroli and Sawli have reached depths of 56 and 39 metres respectively, while seven mountain tunnels are under simultaneous construction in Palghar district. The bullet train project, when complete, is expected to deliver not only unprecedented travel efficiency but also significant environmental benefits by shifting passenger load from polluting road and air transport modes to a more energy-efficient and zero direct emission electric rail system. With a top design speed of 320 km/h, the train will offer a viable green alternative to short-haul flights—positioning it as a transformative asset in India’s net-zero journey.
As major milestones continue to be achieved, public attention is now turning to how quickly the remaining stretch, especially in Maharashtra, can be completed. The success of this project could well become a bellwether for how India embraces sustainable, tech-driven transport infrastructure in the decades to come.
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