Mumbai’s Bandra‑Kurla Complex (BKC) station—an underground cornerstone of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high‑speed rail corridor—is now 80% excavated, and base slab casting has commenced about 100 ft below ground at both ends, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) confirmed. These civil milestones mark critical momentum toward the 2028 operational target for India’s first bullet train.
NHSRCL’s construction update highlights that all three elevated stations—Thane, Virar, and Boisar—are rapidly progressing, with the inaugural slabs at Virar and Boisar recently cast. Meanwhile, pier foundations are being laid along nearly 44 km of viaduct alignment, and full‑span box girder launching has commenced near Dahanu in Palghar district. Tunnelling work has accelerated for the corridor’s seven mountain tunnels in Palghar, while bridge construction is underway across the Vaitarna, Ulhas, and Jagani rivers. Notably, the undersea/underground tunnel between BKC and Shilphata spans 21 km—India’s longest—with 16 km excavated using tunnel‑boring machines and the remaining 5 km via the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). So far, approximately 4.1 km of NATM progress has been logged from both ends at Shilphata and the ADIT portal.
Portal shafts at Vikhroli (56 m deep) and Sawli (39 m deep) have completed base‑slab casting. Concurrently, sludge‑treatment installations are set at shaft sites, and a Mahape segment casting yard is producing tunnel‑lining rings—a sign of readiness for deep excavation phases. These achievements underscore NHSRCL’s integrated strategy—combining elevated structures, deep shafts, river‑bridge spans, and long‑distance tunnelling—to deliver a seamless 508 km corridor linking Maharashtra and Gujarat. The pace of tunnelling and slab casting positions the initiative firmly on track, despite its complexity and ambitious 2028 operational deadline.
As the project moves from below‑surface excavation to above‑ground construction, attention will inevitably shift toward installing tracks, signalling systems, and station finishes. These final stages will need unified coordination among engineers, viable supply chains, and minimal disruption to Mumbai’s urban fabric.
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