NEW DELHI: The first section of the 21 km undersea tunnel between BKC and Thane in Mumbai, part of the bullet train project, has now been opened. A thoroughfare has been established from one end to the other. A next-generation E10 Shinkansen bullet train will pass through this undersea tunnel, linking Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
On Monday, the Ministry of Railways informed the media that the first section of the 21 km undersea tunnel for the bullet train project had been opened, creating a thoroughfare from one end to the other.
"After completing 310 km of viaduct construction, the second milestone has been achieved by opening the first section of the 21 km undersea tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata in Maharashtra. A thoroughfare has been created from one end to another in this tunnel," said an official source from the Ministry.
The official further stated that track laying, the construction of overhead electrical wires, stations, and bridges are progressing at a rapid pace on the bullet train project.
"In parallel, the progress on procurement of systems for operations and control is also going on well," the official added.
Regarding the bullet train project, the official explained that Japanese Shinkansen Gen next E10 bullet trains will be used on this corridor. "In the spirit of strategic partnership between Japan and India, the Japanese government has agreed to introduce E10 Shinkansen trains in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project," he said, adding that the E10 bullet train sets will be introduced simultaneously in both India and Japan.
"The entire length of the 508 km corridor of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is being developed with Japanese Shinkansen technology and will set new benchmarks for speed, safety, and reliability," he continued.
When asked for an update, the official mentioned that civil works are advancing quickly across the alignment, with 310 km of the viaduct already constructed, 15 river bridges completed, and work ongoing on 4 more.
"Out of the 12 stations, work on 5 has been completed, and 3 more are nearing completion. The BKC station is an engineering marvel, being located 32.5 m below ground, with its foundation designed to support the construction of a 95-metre-high building above ground," the official added.