Blazing tracks: Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train takes India to a high-speed era

ANAND: India is moving towards a new age of high-speed connectivity with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, a revolutionary move in the nation’s railway network. One of the key milestones in this ambitious project is the building of a cutting-edge steel bridge on National Highway 48 alongside Nadiad. Stretching 200 meters in length, the bridge is formed of two spans, both 100 meters long and weighing 1,500 metric tonnes each. The structure was built in Salasar, Uttar Pradesh, and comprises all Indian steel from industry giants such as TATA, JSW, and SAIL—endorsement of the country’s focus on self-reliance through the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Durable for a hundred years, the bridge incorporates India’s first-ever C-5 system painting technique to improve longevity. Advanced TTHSB bolts, manufactured in Unbrako factory at Bhopal, have facilitated easy assembly, and MAGEBA’s Kolkata factory has provided elastomeric bearings to provide structural support.

The bullet train corridor will include 28 steel bridges—17 in Gujarat and 11 in Maharashtra—representing a huge leap in Indian railway engineering. Construction of viaducts now reaches over 272 km, though pier work stands at 372 km, and girder casting is at 305 km. There is progress seen in the completion of 13 river bridges, six steel bridges, and five PSC bridges. Noise barriers now cover over 130 km, and 112 km of track bed work are completed. Overhead electrification has started in Gujarat, while Maharashtra is seeing key developments, such as the 21-km BKC-Shilphata tunnel and seven mountain tunnels in Palghar district, built with the NATM technique.

Structural construction for six of the eight stations planned for Gujarat is finished, and the Mumbai terminal and other Maharashtra stations are under fast progress. While in Gujarat on Saturday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected Anand bullet train station, looking at ongoing construction and speaking to engineers and officials about progress. Discussing the project, he added, “This is not about high-speed travel; it is about revolutionising India’s infrastructure abilities. The steel girders, which have been manufactured domestically in India, show our country’s increasing experience in sophisticated engineering and our penchant for self-sufficiency. The bullet train project is an emblem of new, fast-paced India.” The production of steel girder components in the Salasar plant in Hapur is a reflection of India’s growing infrastructure capabilities. Its application of 100 per cent Indian steel, high-strength TTHSB bolts, and long-lasting C-5 paint system—produced all over India by Nippon factories—reflects the country’s engineering prowess. The metal-encased elastomeric bearings produced by MAGEBA Kolkata also play a significant part in making bridges last longer by resisting shocks and structural movement. With technological leaps in engineering and construction at a fast pace, the Bullet Train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad is no longer a dream but a reflection of India’s engineering capabilities, infrastructural development, and unrelenting determination to have modern, high-speed connectivity, Vaishnav mentioned.