Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Hits Major Milestone With First Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough
Breakthrough achieved in first mountain tunnel for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project in Palghar.
India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor has achieved a significant milestone with the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5 in Palghar district, Maharashtra. Announced by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, this is the first and longest of seven mountain tunnels planned along the route. The project, India’s first bullet train corridor, spans 508 kilometres, including 27.4 kilometres of tunnels—21 km underground and 6.4 km on the surface.
The tunnel breakthrough is part of a series of eight mountain tunnels, seven in Maharashtra and one in Gujarat. The 1.48-kilometre Palghar tunnel (excluding portals) follows the completion of the first underground tunnel between Thane and BKC, which was approximately five kilometres long and completed in September 2025. Minister Vaishnaw emphasized that these tunnels represent a critical step in constructing the high-speed corridor according to international engineering standards.
The project includes 12 stations, with Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and BKC in Mumbai serving as terminal stations, and three depots instead of the typical two. Vaishnaw noted that additional depots were required due to earlier delays in approvals by the Maharashtra government under the previous administration, highlighting the complex logistics involved in completing the corridor.
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Engineering milestones have extended beyond tunnelling. Last month, a 130-metre span of a 230-metre steel bridge over National Highway-64 and Bharuch-Dahej railway line in Gujarat was successfully launched. Weighing approximately 2,780 metric tons and measuring 18 metres in height and 14.9 metres in width, the bridge was fabricated in Bhuj and designed for a 100-year lifespan, showcasing cutting-edge construction techniques.
The corridor will connect major cities including Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Vapi, Thane, and Mumbai, with 85% of the route constructed on viaducts to minimize land disturbance. So far, 326 km of viaduct work has been completed, along with 17 out of 25 river bridges, demonstrating rapid progress in one of India’s most transformative infrastructure projects.
Once completed, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train will reduce travel time between the two cities to nearly two hours. The corridor is expected to revolutionize inter-city transport, boosting business, tourism, and regional economic development, while setting new benchmarks in engineering and high-speed rail operations in India.
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