NE NEWS BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JAN 2
India’s flagship high-speed rail ambition crossed a critical engineering milestone on Thursday with the successful breakthrough of the first mountain tunnel of the Bullet Train Project in Maharashtra, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw announced.
🇮🇳 Bharat Ka Garv: Bullet Train Project, achieves a major milestone with the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5.
📍Saphale, Palghar pic.twitter.com/4wtQUUIAvX— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 2, 2026
The breakthrough was achieved at Mountain Tunnel-5 (MT-5) in Palghar district—an approximately 1.5-km-long tunnel, among the longest in the region—located between the Virar and Boisar bullet train stations. The tunnel marks the second tunnelling breakthrough overall in the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project and the first mountain tunnel to be completed in the state.
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The MT-5 tunnel was excavated simultaneously from both ends and completed within 18 months using the advanced drill-and-blast method. The technology enabled real-time monitoring of ground behaviour and the installation of support systems such as shotcrete, rock bolts and lattice girders based on actual geological conditions. Officials said all prescribed safety measures—including ventilation, fire prevention systems and secure access routes—were strictly adhered to throughout the tunnelling process.
Earlier, the project had achieved a major milestone with the completion of the first underground tunnel of nearly 5 km between Thane and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in September 2025. The 508-km-long MAHSR corridor includes a total tunnel length of 27.4 km, comprising 21 km of underground tunnels and 6.4 km of surface tunnels. Of the eight mountain tunnels planned, seven are in Maharashtra with a combined length of about 6.05 km, while one 350-metre tunnel is located in Gujarat.
Highlighting the broader impact of the project, Shri Vaishnaw said the Bullet Train initiative is generating substantial employment during construction and will create additional opportunities during operations. He noted that once completed, the high-speed rail corridor will slash Mumbai–Ahmedabad travel time to just 1 hour and 58 minutes, enabling faster connectivity and deeper economic integration between major commercial hubs.
The Union Minister said the MAHSR project will boost economic activity along the corridor, facilitate technology and knowledge transfer, and support the emergence of new industrial and IT hubs. He added that the project will bring long-term economic gains and meet the aspirations of the middle class by offering comfortable and affordable travel.
Emphasising its environmental benefits, Shri Vaishnaw highlighted that the Bullet Train, once operational, is expected to result in an estimated 95 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to road transport, reinforcing India’s commitment to sustainable mobility.
In Maharashtra, construction is progressing across all seven mountain tunnels. MT-1 (820 metres) has achieved 15 percent progress, while MT-2 (228 metres) is under preparatory works. MT-3 (1,403 metres) has reached 35.5 percent completion, and MT-4 (1,260 metres) stands at 31 percent. MT-5 (1,480 metres)—the longest—has achieved 55 percent progress, with the breakthrough completed on January 2, 2026. MT-6 (454 metres) has reached 35 percent, and MT-7 (417 metres) has achieved 28 percent, taking the total mountain tunnel length in Maharashtra to about 6 km.
The MAHSR corridor spans 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and 156 km in Maharashtra, connecting key cities including Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane and Mumbai—a transformative step in reshaping India’s future transportation landscape.
