India's first bullet train corridor hits 300 km viaduct milestone

Time of India

20-05-2025

Vadodara: The
(NHSRCL) on Tuesday announced a significant milestone in India's ambitious bullet train project, with the successful completion of 300 km of viaducts along the
.
The achievement was marked by the launch of a 40-metre-long full-span box girder near Surat, a key segment in the corridor's elevated track system.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Of the 300 km of viaduct completed, 257.4 km were constructed using the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM), which included 14 river bridges. An additional 37.8 km were built using the Span-by-Span (SBS) method. The remaining sections include 0.9 km of steel bridges (10 spans ranging from 60 to 130 metres across seven bridges), 1.2 km of prestressed concrete bridges (20 spans between 40 and 80 metres), and 2.7 km within station premises.
The FSLM method alone involved 6,455 spans, each 40 metres long, while the SBS method accounted for 925 spans of the same length. Officials said the FSLM technique significantly expedited construction, with each full-span box girder—weighing approximately 970 metric tons—erected up to 10 times faster than conventional methods.
"This project has pioneered the use of indigenously designed and manufactured equipment such as straddle carriers, launching gantries, bridge gantries, and girder transporters," an NHSRCL official said.
"It marks a first for Indian infrastructure and reflects growing domestic expertise in high-speed rail construction, backed by technical collaboration with Japan."
To support large-scale construction, 27 dedicated casting yards were established along the corridor. Steel bridge components are being fabricated at seven facilities across the country — three in Gujarat, and one each in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
As part of its commitment to environmental impact mitigation, the NHSRCL has installed over 3 lakh noise barriers along completed viaduct stretches. Additional progress includes 383 km of pier work, 401 km of foundation work, and 326 km of girder casting.
Meanwhile, construction of station buildings is advancing rapidly, with thematic bullet train stations taking shape across the route. Track laying has also commenced, with 157 km of reinforced concrete (RC) track beds completed in Gujarat.
High-tech rolling stock depots are simultaneously being developed in both Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor, India's first high-speed rail project, is being implemented with financial and technical assistance from the Japanese govt. It aims to reduce travel time between the two cities to under three hours, revolutionising long-distance travel in the country.