Mumbai, January 18:
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday reviewed the progress of the 21-km-long underground and undersea tunnel, a key part of India's first bullet train project near Thane.
The tunnel, currently under construction, stretches from the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai to Shilphata in Maharashtra. Out of the total 21 km, 16 km has been completed using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM), with the remaining 5 km being constructed through the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). The tunnel also includes 7 km of undersea passage through Thane Creek.
Minister Vaishnaw expressed satisfaction with the progress, emphasizing that the national high-speed rail project, once completed, will not only transform public transportation but also drive economic growth. He highlighted that cities like Mumbai, Thane, Surat, and Ahmedabad will witness a significant boost in economic activity, reinforcing the project’s potential for economic integration.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, also known as the Bullet Train project, is a flagship infrastructure initiative aimed at revolutionizing rail travel in India.