India's bullet train plan hits Chinese wall as German tunnel-boring machines remain stuck at port
'Matter taken to the External Affairs Ministry'
Live Events
High stakes under the surface
Post-Galwan caution on Chinese imports
India's largest TBM, still waiting
Afcons begins without machines
Going deep: Tunnel to cut through hill and creek
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Three massive tunnel boring machines meant for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor remain held up at a Chinese port, creating concern over potential delays to India's flagship bullet train project These machines, essential for the 21-km underground section of the line from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Shilphata, were built in Guangzhou by German tunnelling specialist Herrenknecht . Two were expected to reach India by October 2024, while the third should have arrived earlier this year.So far, no clearance has been given by Chinese port authorities. There has been no official explanation for the delay.The Railway Ministry has escalated the issue. 'The railway ministry has taken the matter to the external affairs ministry,' a senior official told reporters.Diplomatic channels are now in play, as the delay involves not just the TBMs but also other parts crucial for ongoing civil works. Sources say a continued hold-up could seriously affect progress, particularly on the undersea stretch beneath Thane creek.The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd ( NHSRCL ), which is executing the ₹1.08 lakh crore project, planned to use TBM-1 and TBM-2 for tunnelling between Sawli (Ghansoli) and BKC, and TBM-3 between Vikhroli and Sawli.This part of the route includes India's first undersea rail tunnel—a 7-km stretch running below Thane creek. It is one of the most technically demanding sections of the corridor.So far, NHSRCL officials have declined to comment. But sources confirmed the overall project timeline remains unchanged, at least for now.Since the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020 between Indian and Chinese troops, the Indian government has increased scrutiny of Chinese-origin imports and investments.That year, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority cancelled bids for a monorail upgrade involving two Chinese companies. Similarly, the Maharashtra government froze three large MoUs signed under the Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 initiative, worth more than ₹5,000 crore.TBMs for Mumbai Metro and the city's coastal road project had come from China before the Galwan clash. But post-2020, projects like the Thane–Borivli tunnel opted for TBMs made in Herrenknecht's Indian facility in Alinjivakkam, Tamil Nadu.The machines now stuck in China are far from standard.One of them is the largest tunnel boring machine ever built for use in India. It has a cutter head diameter of 13.56 metres. By comparison, metro TBMs are usually under 6.7 metres. Even the 12.19-metre TBM used for Mumbai's coastal road project is smaller.The Herrenknecht machine is equipped with a mixshield configuration that allows it to handle different geological conditions—soil, rock, and everything in between. It's a precision instrument made for a complex job. Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, which won the ₹6,397 crore contract for the underground Package C-2, is preparing the ground while the machines remain in limbo. The contract, awarded in June 2023, covers the 20.377-km stretch from BKC to Shilphata and has a planned duration of 5.17 years.Three vertical shafts—36 metres deep at BKC, 56 metres at Vikhroli, and 39 metres at Sawli—are being constructed to launch and retrieve the TBMs. A 42-metre inclined shaft at Ghansoli and a tunnel portal at Shilphata are also in progress for NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method) works.The tunnel will run 25 to 65 metres below ground, and in some places, like beneath Parsik Hill, it will dip as far as 114 metres. It must cross wetlands, thick urban clusters, and a large body of water. Every metre matters.Despite the challenges, Afcons and NHSRCL have not changed their public stance. Afcons officials also declined to comment.Officials familiar with the matter said all stakeholders—NHSRCL, Herrenknecht, Afcons, and the ministries—are actively coordinating to find a way forward.'The equipment includes not just the TBMs but also parts critical for other infrastructure works,' one official added.For now, work continues. But as the wait at the Chinese port stretches on, pressure builds to get the machines moving—or risk the timeline slipping underground.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
12 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Indian carriers hit by Iran-led airspace closures after US base strike
Air India, IndiGo and others face rerouting and cancellations as airspace closures across West Asia after Iran's missile attack impact routes to Europe and North America Deepak Patel New Delhi Listen to This Article Indian carriers are grappling with severe operational disruptions after Iran launched missile strikes on the US military base in Qatar late Monday, prompting airspace closures for several hours across parts of West Asia. Iran, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait shut down their skies in the hours following the attack, forcing airlines to cancel, divert or delay flights through these vital transit corridors. By Tuesday morning, most Gulf countries—including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE—had reopened their airspace following reports of a de-escalation and a ceasefire. However, Iran's airspace remained closed, continuing to disrupt flight paths for carriers connecting India
Economic Times
12 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Indian bonds jump as traders lap up debt after Israel-Iran ceasefire
An Israel-Iran ceasefire and the ensuing slump in oil prices boosted Indian government bonds on Tuesday, as traders resumed buying and covered short positions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads An Israel-Iran ceasefire and the ensuing slump in oil prices boosted Indian government bonds on Tuesday, as traders resumed buying and covered short yield on the benchmark 10-year bond ended over 5 basis points lower at 6.2504%, the sharpest decline since May 13. The five-year 6.75% 2029 bond yield was at 5.9870%, versus its previous close of 6.0304%.Yields move inversely to bond prices.U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Both Israel and Iran confirmed the ceasefire, but reports of a violation hours later raised some doubts about the global markets were largely relieved by the prospect of an end to the 12-day crude was down nearly 2.7% at $69.52 per barrel in Asian hours, after easing over 7% on Monday."The tensions are dying down after the ceasefire," said Gopal Tripathi, head of treasury and capital markets at Jana Small Finance Bank "Commodity prices are also cooling down, so local factors like demand and supply should take precedence now."He expects the yield on the new 10-year bond to be rangebound between 6.20% and 6.30% in the near India's banking system liquidity surplus shrunk to its lowest in three weeks due to tax surplus was at 2.44 trillion rupees($511.50 billion) on Indian overnight index swap (OIS) rates declined across tenors on Tuesday, in line with government bond recommended receiving the most liquid 5-year OIS rate, with a view that the rate could extend its slide if oil prices fell one-year OIS rate ended 4 basis points lower at 5.48% and the two-year OIS rate fell by 6 basis points to 5.47%.The liquid five-year dropped 8 basis points to 5.67%. ($1 = 86.0220 Indian rupees)
Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India, South Africa exchange agreements in domain of submarine cooperation
New Delhi, India and South Africa have exchanged two agreements in the domain of submarine cooperation during a key meeting in Johannesburg as both sides sought to further strengthen bilateral defence ties, according to the defence ministry. India, South Africa exchange agreements in domain of submarine cooperation Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh led an Indian delegation to South Africa for the 9th Joint Defence Committee meeting held in Johannesburg on June 23 and 24, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The delegation from South Africa was headed by Acting Secretary for Defence, South Africa, Thobekile Gamede. The first day of the meeting commenced with remarks of the two co-chairs setting the agenda and providing broad guidance to the two sub-committees that report to the JDC. They were briefed by both sides on the capabilities of their defence industry, the ministry said. Singh recalled the "historic relations" with South Africa and "expressed satisfaction on the significant progress" made in bilateral defence cooperation. He highlighted India's growing prowess in defence manufacturing and exports, and reiterated the commitment to "further strengthen" relations with South Africa, it said. "On the second day of the meeting, areas of mutual interest were discussed and a way forward for further strengthening of India-South Africa relations was identified," the statement said. "Two newly signed agreements in the domain of submarine cooperation were exchanged during the meeting," it said. The two sub-committees on Defence Policy and Military Cooperation, and Defence Acquisition, Production, Research and Development, reported the outcome of the discussions to the JDC. The Indian delegation comprised senior officers from the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the services and the Indian High Commission. "India-South Africa relations have a shared history, deeply rooted in the commonality of struggle against colonialism. Defence collaboration between the two countries dates back to 1996, when the MoU on 'Cooperation in the field of Defence Equipment' was signed, which was further upgraded by an MoU in 2000," it added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
