India tunnels into future with bullet train breakthrough
New Delhi, Jan 2: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced a major construction milestone in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project with the breakthrough of the second tunnel at Palghar in Maharashtra, the first mountain tunnel of the project in the state.
The breakthrough was achieved in the nearly 1.5-km-long Mountain Tunnel-5 (MT-5), one of the longest in Palghar district, located between the Virar and Boisar bullet train stations.
The tunnel was excavated from both ends and completed within 18 months using the advanced drill-and-blast method, which enables real-time monitoring of geological conditions and the deployment of appropriate safety and support systems such as shotcrete, rock bolts and lattice girders.
The minister noted that all required safety measures, including ventilation, fire prevention and proper access arrangements, were followed during the tunnelling process.
Earlier, the project’s first underground tunnel of about 5 km between Thane and the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) was completed in September 2025. Vaishnaw said the bullet train project is generating substantial employment during construction and will create further opportunities during operations.
Once completed, the high-speed rail corridor will cut travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just 1 hour and 58 minutes, significantly integrating the economies of major commercial centres.
He said that the project is expected to boost economic activity along the corridor, support the development of new industrial and IT hubs, and facilitate knowledge transfer. Emphasising its environmental benefits, the minister said the MAHSR is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 95 percent compared to road transport, while offering comfortable and affordable travel for the middle class.
The 508-km MAHSR corridor includes a total tunnel length of 27.4 km, comprising 21 km of underground tunnels and 6.4 km of surface tunnels.
Of the eight mountain tunnels planned, seven are located in Maharashtra with a combined length of about 6 km, while one 350-metre tunnel is in Gujarat.
Work is currently underway on all seven mountain tunnels in Maharashtra, with varying levels of progress. MT-5, the longest at about 1,480 metres, has achieved 55 percent completion with the breakthrough on January 2, 2026.
The MAHSR project spans 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and 156 km in Maharashtra, connecting major cities including Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane and Mumbai, marking a transformative step in India’s transport infrastructure.
