Mumbai: Work on India’s first 7-kilometer undersea rail tunnel began yesterday. This tunnel is a part of the 21-kilometer long tunnel between BKC and Shilphata in Mumbai. National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) is overseeing this construction as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

The undersea tunnel spans 7 kilometers within the stretch between Shilphata and BKC. It will use advanced methods such as Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). The single tube tunnel will accommodate twin tracks for both up and down lines and will include 39 equipment rooms at 37 locations.

The tunnel will range from 25 to 57 meters below ground level, with the deepest point at 114 meters beneath the Parsik hill near Shilphata. Construction will be aided by three shafts at BKC, Vikhroli, and Sawli, along with an inclined shaft at Ghansoli and portals at Shilphata and ADIT Portal.

Currently, foundation work on eight Bullet Train Stations in Gujarat, including Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati, has been completed. The structural work for the Surat depot is done, and progress is reported in the Sabarmati and Thane depots. DeshGujarat