Mumbai: India’s flagship Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Practice venture is lastly set to beat one in all its greatest obstacles. A large Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which was stranded at a Chinese language port, is anticipated to achieve Mumbai by September 24. Officers confirmed that after manufacturing unit testing and meeting, tunnelling operations will begin in January 2027.
The TBM had develop into a significant bottleneck for India’s first high-speed rail venture. Its cargo from China was delayed regardless of being manufactured on the Guangzhou facility of the German tunnelling firm Herrenknecht. Authorities in Beijing had not supplied any official purpose for the hold-up.
The difficulty was resolved following diplomatic engagement throughout a gathering between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese language President Xi Jinping on the Shanghai Cooperation Group (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The matter had additionally been escalated by India’s Ministry of Exterior Affairs, which coordinated with the Rail Ministry to make sure the discharge of the gear.
Sources confirmed that the Indian delegation emphasised the TBM cargo as a crucial bottleneck requiring Beijing’s cooperation. Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has confirmed that the TBMs have now been cleared for transit.
The primary TBM is anticipated to reach on the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Belief (JNPT) by September 24 or 25, with the second scheduled to reach within the following weeks. As soon as operational in January 2027, the machines will kick-start underground development work, marking the elimination of the venture’s most vital international hurdle.
A senior official described this as “the one most severe international impediment” to the bullet prepare’s well timed execution.
The blockage had roots within the aftermath of the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict between Indian and Chinese language forces. Since then, India has intently scrutinised Chinese language investments and shipments, inflicting delays and cancellations in a number of contracts, together with Chinese language bids for the Mumbai Monorail and agreements exceeding Rs 5,000 crore in Maharashtra.
Labelled C-2, the underground phase is being executed by Afcons Infrastructure Restricted. Awarded in June 2023, the contract has a 5.17-year timeline and a worth of Rs 6,397 crore. Preliminary work contains developing vertical shafts at BKC (36 metres), Vikhroli (56 metres) and Sawli (39 metres), together with an inclined shaft at Ghansoli (42 metres) and a portal at Shilphata. These constructions will function launch and retrieval factors for the TBMs.
The TBMs will tunnel a 5-kilometre stretch utilizing the New Austrian Tunnelling Technique (NATM). The tunnel will run 25 to 65 metres beneath the floor, plunging as much as 114 metres beneath the Parsik hill close to Shilphata. As soon as accomplished, it’ll accommodate a single tube carrying each up and down tracks of the bullet prepare. The machine has a mixed-shield construction, particularly designed to navigate complicated geological formations.
The 20.37-kilometre underground part will join Bandra-Kurla Complicated (BKC) and Shilphata, together with a 7-kilometre undersea phase beneath Thane Creek. The NHSRCL initially plans to deploy two TBMs, with the choice to make use of a 3rd if required to fulfill venture deadlines.
With the TBM now en path to India, the long-delayed bullet prepare venture is poised to maneuver into its crucial underground development part, signalling a significant milestone for the nation’s high-speed rail ambitions.