News Brief
Kuldeep Negi
May 21, 2025, 09:03 AM | Updated 09:03 AM IST
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India’s first high-speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad has achieved a major construction milestone with 300 km of viaducts now complete.
This landmark was marked by the launch of a 40-metre-long full-span box girder near Surat, Gujarat.
Of the 300 km of viaduct superstructure completed, 257.4 km was built using the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM)—known for its speed and efficiency—while 37.8 km used the Span by Span (SBS) technique.
The rest includes 0.9 km of steel bridges across 7 sites, 1.2 km of precast PSC bridges, and 2.7 km within station buildings.
The FSLM method accounted for 6,455 spans, each 40 metres long, while SBS involved 925 similar spans.
This rapid construction was enabled by the use of full-span girders weighing 970 metric tons each—installed nearly ten times faster than traditional segmental methods.
This milestone also highlights India’s technological leap in infrastructure, with indigenous equipment such as straddle carriers, launching gantries, bridge gantries, and girder transporters deployed at scale for the first time in such a project.
To streamline operations, 27 dedicated casting yards were set up along the corridor.
Steel bridge components are being fabricated in seven workshops across India—three in Gujarat and one each in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
Over 3 lakh noise barriers have been installed along the viaducts to reduce operational sound pollution.
The overall structural progress include: 383 km of piers, 401 km of foundations, and 326 km of girder casting have also been completed.
The bullet train stations—designed around unique themes—are progressing rapidly.
These hubs will integrate with existing road and rail networks, offering modern amenities and seamless connectivity to passengers.
Track laying has begun over completed viaducts, with 157 track km of reinforced concrete (RC) bed construction achieved so far in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, rolling stock depots equipped with advanced infrastructure are nearing readiness in both Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The 508 Km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, also known as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, will pass through the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The project has 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bhaurach, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is the implementing agency for the mega railway project.
Kuldeep is Senior Editor (Newsroom) at Swarajya. He tweets at @kaydnegi.