Major tunnel breakthrough for Mumbai bullet train

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday marked a major milestone in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project by initiating the breakthrough of a five-kilometre-long tunnel in Thane in Maharashtra.

At the site between Ghansoli and Shilphata, Vaishnaw pressed the button to trigger a controlled dynamite blast, breaching the final rock layer and completing the excavation. He described the moment as a “landmark achievement” in the country’s first high-speed rail project.

The minister said the progress underlines the government’s commitment to complete the 50-km Surat-Billimora stretch of the project by December 2027. He also highlighted that the Thane tunnel forms part of a 21-km-long stretch, of which seven kilometres pass beneath the sea.

The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, once completed, will significantly cut travel time between the two cities and place India among nations with advanced bullet train infrastructure.

Officials said that excavation of the five-km stretch was carried out using the drill-and-blast method, while further tunnelling will employ tunnel-boring machines.

The Railway Minister said that the breakthrough reflects the dedication of engineers and workers who are engaged in the project and reaffirmed that timely completion of the project remains a top priority.