Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed bullet train project gains momentum

NEW DELHI: The pace of the bullet train project has gained significant momentum during the last few days.

Clearing a long pending issue, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has issued directives to shift a petrol pump of BPCL located on a plot at BKC earmarked for the terminus of the highspeed train to be constructed as three-storey underground structure and will have six platforms on the lowest level.

About 1.2 hectares of land in Palghar, Maharashtra has been handed over last week which was earlier stuck up for months. With that, 90.56 per cent land has been acquired for the entire project, (98.8 per cent in Gujarat and 100 per cent in Dadar Nagar Haveli and 72.25 per cent in Maharashtra).

The new government in Maharashtra has shown a proactive and positive approach towards the bullet train project and in a review meeting on July 12 committed that issues involving transfer of land for BKC underground station (4.84 Ha) and 3.92 Ha at Vikroli for tunnel shaft will be resolved by September.

For bullet train project alignment passing through the forest area, stage I clearance has been granted by Maharashtra government and Stage-II approval is also expected by September.

So far, the foundation and pier works have been completed in 75 length of the 352-km-long Gujarat portion of the project. The works on bridges on rivers and launching of girders for viaduct in 180-km-length of alignment are going on in full swing. The works on all eight (8) stations between Vapi and Sabarmati are also under various stages of construction.

The Sabarmati passenger hub is nearing completion, which will provide seamless multi-modal connectivity to various inter and intra city transport.

Contracts for all civil and track packages have already been awarded in Gujarat portion of MAHSR alignment. It is expected that trial run between Vapi-Sabarmati may be conducted in 2026 and the section in Gujarat portion i.e. Sabarmati-Vapi is likely to be fully operational in 2027.

About 1.2 hectares of land in Palghar, Maharashtra has been handed over last week which was earlier stuck up for months