The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached a major milestone with the construction of its 135 km elevated section, stretching from Shilphata to Zaroli village near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. This segment will pass through 95 villages and towns across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Thane and Palghar districts. It features an extensive network of viaducts and bridges, with 124 km dedicated to these structures, including 11 steel bridges. The construction also includes seven mountain tunnels, posing significant engineering challenges.
The project is set to transform regional travel by addressing complex engineering obstacles and navigating densely populated areas and protected wildlife sanctuaries, ultimately reducing travel time and improving connectivity. The alignment will intersect several critical transport lines and highways, including Central and Western Railway lines, the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Mumbai suburban line, and the elevated Mumbai Metro Line 5. It will cross major highways like National Highway-48 and Mumbai-Agra National Highway-3.
The section will feature bridges over four major rivers, including a 460-meter steel bridge over the Ulhas River, the heaviest steel structure in the project at 9,672 metric tons. The longest bridge will span 2.32 km over the Vaitarna River. Special measures are being taken to minimize environmental impact and preserve habitats as the alignment passes through ecologically sensitive areas such as Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Progress is substantial, with geotechnical investigations nearing completion, mountain tunnel work underway, and approximately 265 open foundations (about 11 km) for pier work completed. Foundation work has also started at Boisar and Virar stations, indicating steady advancement in the project’s timeline.
