Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Hits Major Milestone as India's Largest Rail TBM Begins Tunnelling

Mumbai: The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project crossed a major construction milestone on Sunday with the country's largest rail Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) beginning excavation from Vikhroli for the underground tunnel leading to the upcoming Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station. Although Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was scheduled to flag off the launch, the  event was cancelled due to heavy rain. The tunnelling work, however, is set to proceed as planned.

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The 13.6-metre diameter Mixshield TBM will construct a 6-km single-tube tunnel that will carry both up and down Bullet Train tracks. It forms part of the 21-km underground section of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor. Of this, 16 km between Sawli in Ghansoli and BKC will be excavated using Tunnel Boring Machines, while the remaining 5 km has already been completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).

Weighing around 3,100 tonnes and stretching 96 metres in length, the TBM is among the largest ever deployed for a rail tunnel project in India. It will pass beneath densely populated areas, including roads, multi-storeyed buildings, the Mithi River and other key infrastructure. Officials said the Mixshield technology was selected because it is designed to work safely in mixed soil conditions and areas with high groundwater pressure while keeping ground settlement and surface disturbance to a minimum.

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The machine is capable of carrying out tunnel excavation and installation of concrete lining segments simultaneously, allowing faster and safer construction. To support the operation, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited has built a 56-metre-deep launch shaft at Vikhroli along with slurry and water treatment plants, bentonite storage facilities, a dedicated power substation, backup generators, a concrete grouting plant and other support infrastructure.

Authorities have also installed an extensive real-time monitoring system to track ground movement, vibrations and structural behaviour throughout the tunnelling process. Instruments such as settlement markers, tilt meters, strain gauges, seismographs and 3D monitoring targets will help ensure the safety of nearby buildings and utilities during excavation.

Meanwhile, an 11.17-hectare casting yard at Mahape in Thane is producing 77,000 precast concrete segments required for the tunnel lining. These will form 7,700 rings, with each ring weighing nearly 100 tonnes. The tunnel is being designed as a fully waterproof structure using double-layer EPDM gaskets and hydrophilic seals to prevent water ingress and ensure long-term durability.

The start of TBM excavation marks one of the most technically challenging phases of the Bullet Train project in Mumbai. Once completed, the underground section will provide the crucial link between the city and the rest of the 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor.

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