Surat: Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today visited a track slab manufacturing factory in Kim, near Surat, for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Vaishnaw explained that all equipment for the factory was initially imported from Japan before being manufactured locally in India, which will benefit future construction projects. “This facility in Kim is the largest in India and one of the largest track slab factories globally. The workers here possess exceptional skills, as do those involved in validation, testing, and quality checks, maintaining excellent standards,” he told reporters following his visit. He further emphasized that the experience of manufacturing in India after importing the equipment from Japan will be valuable for upcoming infrastructure projects.

A state-of-the-art track slab manufacturing facility has been set up to support India’s first bullet train project, marking a major advancement in the country’s high-speed rail infrastructure. The factory is designed to produce high-capacity ballastless track slabs using advanced Shinkansen technology, playing a crucial role in ensuring the stability and performance of the bullet train tracks.

Located strategically near the project alignment in Kim Village, near Surat, the factory’s proximity to the construction site facilitates efficient logistics and timely delivery of track slabs for the bullet train project.

Production Capacity:

The facility manufactures pre-cast reinforced concrete track slabs, which measure 2,200 mm in width, 4,900 mm in length, and 190 mm in thickness, with each slab weighing approximately 3.9 tonnes. With a production capacity of 120 slabs per day, the factory ensures a consistent and efficient supply of key components for India’s bullet train. The factory’s production scope includes the manufacture of 96,000 J-slabs.

The factory will supply track slabs for 237 km of the MAHSR corridor in Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH), contributing to a total length of 352 km.

Factory Size and Layout:

The facility covers a total area of 19 acres, with the manufacturing plant occupying 7 acres. The production building spans 190 meters by 90 meters and houses three dedicated bays that accommodate a total of 120 slab moulds, enabling the simultaneous production of multiple slabs.

Stacking Capacity:

To support the high volume of production, the factory has a stacking capacity of 10,000 track slabs, allowing for efficient organization and storage of the produced slabs before they are transported to the construction site.

Production Process:

The production process begins with the preparation of rebar cages using an automatic cut-and-bend machine. These cages, along with inserts and spiral rebars, are placed in the moulds before concrete is poured. Vibrators within the moulds ensure proper compaction of the poured concrete. Following casting, the slabs undergo steam curing to achieve the required strength. After curing, they are demoulded, inspected, and undergo a three-day wet curing process.

Once the slabs achieve the necessary strength, they are stacked in the designated storage area at the TSMF. After a 28-day period to ensure cube strength, the slabs are transported to the Track Construction Base for installation.

Progress Update (29/11/2024):

• Slabs Produced: A total of 9,775 slabs have been cast and are currently being transported to the Track Construction Base. These slabs will be laid on the viaduct as part of the ongoing track construction for the High-Speed Rail Project.

Another track slab manufacturing facility has been established in Anand, Gujarat, to produce track slabs for the 116 km of the MAHSR corridor in Gujarat. Together, both factories have produced over 22,000 slabs, equivalent to 110 track kilometers.

The engineers working on the track slabs have undergone training and certification under the supervision of Japanese experts, following the best practices used in Japan.

J-Slab Track System

The Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor will have J- Slab track system of ballastless track based on Japanese Shinkansen track system. This track system consists of 4 main layers viz. RC Track Bed, Cement Asphalt Mortar, Pre cast Track Slab and Rail with Fasteners. The process of track installation is mechanized with cutting edge machinery especially designed and manufactured, as per Japanese specifications.

Over 35,000 MT of rails and four sets (04) of track construction machinery have been received for the project. The fleet of machines include rail feeder car, track slab laying car, related wagons and motor cars, CAM laying car and flash butt welding machines.

 

Details of track construction machinery:

Flash butt welding machine (FBWM)
The 25 m long 60 kg rails are welded using Flash butt welding machine (FBWM) to form 200 m long panels near the TCB (track construction base) over the viaduct. Total 3 FBWM have been procured till now, and the same have to pass through stringent approval methodology prior to commencement of rail welding fit for allowing high speed train running at 320 kmph. The training for rail weld finishing and rail weld testing have been completed by the JARTS.

Track Slab Laying Car (SLC)
Precast track slabs are lifted on to the viaduct, loaded on specially designed SLC and moved to the track laying location. By using SLC, which can pick 5 slabs at a time, track slabs are laid in position on the RC track bed. 3 SLC have been arranged for slab laying work.

Rail Feeder Car (RFC)
200 m long panels are fed and laid over RC track bed using Rail Feeder Car. RFC will push the rail pair over the RC bed and temporary track will be laid initially on RC. Total 4 RFC have been procured till now.

Cement Asphalt Mortar Injection Car (CAM Car)
After placement of track slabs at proper place on the RC Bed, CAM car runs on the parallel track. This CAM car mixes the ingredients for CAM mix in design proportion and this CAM mix is injected under the slab to achieve the required line and level of track. 2 CAM cars have been procured till now.

Vaishnaw also visited the Plasser India facility in Karjan near Vadodara, a manufacturer of track maintenance machines. He mentioned that an educational program on machine design, manufacturing, and testing would be launched at Gatishakti University in Vadodara to create new opportunities for youth. The Austrian company, which operates the world’s largest plant in India, exports products to countries like Australia and Argentina. Vaishnaw highlighted the increasing skill level of Indian engineers and technicians involved in this work.

Additionally, Vaishnaw attended the 2nd convocation of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (formerly National Rail and Transportation Institute) in Vadodara. DeshGujarat