Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Gains Major Speed

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300 km Viaduct Completed for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, says Railways

By S JHA

MUMBAI, May 20, 2025 – In a major milestone for India’s first high-speed rail corridor, 300 kilometers of viaduct construction for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project has been successfully completed. This achievement was marked by the successful launch of a 40-meter full-span box girder near Surat in Gujarat.

Out of the 300 km superstructure, 257.4 km has been built using the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM), a high-speed construction technique. “The remaining viaduct construction includes 37.8 km span-by-span (SBS), 0.9 km of steel bridges (10 spans across 7 bridges ranging from 60 to 130 meters), 1.2 km of PSC bridges (20 spans across 5 bridges ranging from 40 to 80 meters), and 2.7 km of station buildings,” said the Railways in a media statement.

For the FSLM and SBS construction, a total of 6,455 and 925 spans of 40 meters each have been deployed respectively.

The project has been a showcase of indigenous engineering, utilizing locally designed and manufactured equipment such as straddle carriers, launching gantries, bridge gantries, and girder transporters. This marks the first large-scale use of such technology in Indian infrastructure, supported by Japanese collaboration in high-speed rail expertise.

The FSLM method has significantly accelerated the pace of construction, being 10 times faster than conventional segmental construction. “Each full-span box girder weighs 970 metric tons, while segmental girders have been selectively used in areas where full-span installations were not feasible,” added the Railways.

To facilitate this scale of construction, 27 casting yards have been established along the corridor. The steel bridges are being fabricated in seven workshops across the country — including three in Gujarat and one each in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and West Bengal — showcasing a unified national effort.

Over 300,000 noise barriers have already been installed along the viaducts to ensure noise reduction during train operations.

In addition to the viaduct, construction is progressing across other major components:

383 km of piers
401 km of foundations
326 km of girder casting
All of these have been successfully completed.

Work on the ballastless track system is also underway, with 157 km of RC track bed already completed in Gujarat. Meanwhile, bullet train stations are taking shape rapidly and are being integrated with existing rail and road transport networks to ensure seamless connectivity. These stations will feature state-of-the-art passenger amenities.

Modern rolling stock depots are also under development in both Maharashtra and Gujarat, reinforcing the comprehensive infrastructure ecosystem supporting this high-speed corridor.

“This milestone underscores the project’s strong planning, advanced engineering execution, and commitment to the ‘Make in India’ vision — setting a benchmark for future infrastructure projects in the country,” said the Railways.

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