Undersea tunnel for bullet train to conclude by 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project of bullet train is underway in Mumbai, Thane, and the under the sea tunnel may finish completion by August 15, 2022, the MD of National High speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) Achal Khare said on Tuesday.

“Our mission is to complete tunnel till August 15, 2022. Currently we are doing static refraction survey on the sea with Japanese firms. We are facing challenges like high tide; this survey is possible on high tide. Our survey says total sea bed is 10-15 metres depth and our tunnel will construct 25 to 40 metres depth from sea bed,” Khare told ANI during the work inspection for the project.

“We are hoping to start our tunnel work next year,” he added.

The data acquisition work on the tunnel project started from December 11, and is expected to be finished by December 24.

Presently both the Japanese and Indian professionals are working diligently on ensuring to build a tunnel inside the creek near Thane.

The Japanese professionals from Kawasaki Geological Engineering co. ltd are to submit report on the data acquisition to their lab in Japan and final report will be submitted in January 2018.

The cost of the tunnel is estimated at Rs 3,500 crores.

The cost of the total train project is Rs 1.10 trillion, and Japan is giving a loan of Rs 88,000 crores for the same at a minimal interest of 0.1 per cent, which has to be repaid over 50 years.