Explainer: How geotechnical tunnelling is shaping infra landscape
The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), being used for India’s ambitious bullet train project, is grabbing the headlines as a sustainable option
Updated At : 07:41 AM Sep 30, 2025 IST
Think of NATM not as a method of overpowering the earth, but of collaborating with it. Istock
Even as road-building and tunnelling strategies in the hills have come under the scanner, it’s the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) being used for India’s ambitious bullet train project that is grabbing the headlines as a sustainable option. The recent success on the BKC-Shillphata undersea tunnel — part of the massive Mega Airport High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project — is an example of NATM in action.
