NHSRCL achieves major milestone in Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

Palghar, Sep 7 (PTI) In a significant advancement for India's first bullet train project, the NHSRCL has successfully launched the first full-span pre-stressed concrete (PSC) box girder in the Maharashtra section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor.

The launch was carried out on September 6 at Sakhare village in Dahanu in Palghar district, marking a critical step in the construction of the 156 km-long Maharashtra stretch of the corridor.

"The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has successfully launched the first Full Span Pre-Stressed Concrete (PSC) Box Girder of 40 meters length through the full span launching gantry (FSLG) in the Maharashtra section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor," the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) stated.

The bullet train corridor's Maharashtra section spans 156 km, including 135 km of elevated alignment between Shilphata and Zaroli village near the Gujarat border. The elevated viaduct is being constructed using 2,575 full-span girders, each 40 meters long and weighing approximately 970 metric tonnes, the heaviest of their kind in India.

Other structures in this stretch include: 17 km of viaduct through segmental girders, 2.3 km of steel bridges, three stations, seven mountain tunnels (approx. 6 km total), and various special earth structures.

"This proven technology has been in use for the Bullet Train project since April 2021, contributing to the total 319 km completed viaduct in Gujarat," the release noted.

Each PSC box girder is a single monolithic unit, cast without any construction joints. It uses 390 cubic meters of concrete and 42 metric tonnes of steel, offering unmatched strength and stability.

Unlike segmental construction, full-span girders allow faster construction up to 10 times quicker, making them crucial to meeting the project's aggressive timelines.

These girders are launched using indigenous heavy machinery, the NHSRCL added.

"Each 40-meter-long PSC Box Girder weighs around 970 metric tonnes, making it the heaviest in India's construction industry," the statement said.

To maintain construction momentum, 13 casting yards are planned along the Maharashtra route between Shilphata and the Gujarat border. Five of these yards are already operational, ensuring a continuous and timely supply of girders for ongoing work.

This latest development in Maharashtra follows significant progress in Gujarat, where 319 km of viaduct has already been completed using the same technology.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is India's first high-speed rail corridor and is being executed with technical and financial cooperation from Japan. Once complete, the high-speed line will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to under 2 hours and 30 minutes, revolutionising intercity travel in India.

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited is the implementing agency for the project, which is an SPV of the Government of India, entrusted with the responsibility of building, operating, and maintaining the bullet train network. PTI COR NSK