Breakthrough on India’s high-speed rail project

On 20 September, the breakthrough of a 5km-long NATM tunnel for India’s Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor was made.

Linking Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex and Shilphata in Maharashtra, the 5km section between Ghansoli and Shilphata is part of a 21km tunnel.

Considering that the NATM tunnel was dug through complex geology, the breakthrough paved the way for waterproofing, lining and finishing works, as the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) said.

While boring process of of a 394m-long inclined adit was completed in May last year, the remaining 16km of the tunnel is due to be excavated by TBM. The tunnel includes a 7km stretch under Thane Creek, said to be India’s first undersea tunnel.