As bullet train project hits milestone, why Maharashtra must catch up with Gujarat
India's first-ever bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad has reached a crucial milestone: 300 km of the viaduct—the elevated sections that will carry the high-speed line—has been completed. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called it a big push to the 508-km-long corridor, which has been ailing as work in Maharashtra lags much behind that in Gujarat.From here on, it's a race against time to open the first, limited stretch in Gujarat sometime next year. The viaduct stretch was completed with a 40 m full span launched from Surat. The largest portion of that—some 257 km—has been constructed with the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM), which is many times faster than traditional construction methods. Another 42.6 km involves SBS (steel building solutions) and PSC (pre-stressed concrete) bridges and segments at station level.advertisementThe difference between Gujarat and Maharashtra is still glaring. Out of Gujarat's share of 352 km, casting of girders to a tune of 100 per cent and launching of over 299 km has been done. In Maharashtra, which is the only state where the train line extends 156 km, some 51 km of foundations and 36.68 km of piersare ready. While piling, earthwork for the underground BKC station in Mumbai has reportedly been completed, girder work has not commenced.Of the 12 stations, eight are in Gujarat: Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. All have had foundations finished; three are being prepared for finishingtouches. The four Mumbai stations—BKC, Thane, Virar and Boisar—are yetto witness the foundation work as well.
The project is also serving as a testing ground for local engineering capabilities. Most of the equipment, such as straddle carriers, launching and bridge gantries, and girder transporters have been designed and built in India, in accordance with the government's Make in India push. Twenty-seven casting yards have been established, and steel bridge components are being produced in workshops from Gujarat to West Bengal.advertisementTo address issues related to noise, over 300,000 sound barriers have been erected. Apart from this, work on the reinforced concrete track base is also in progress, with 157 km of track being laid out in Gujarat. Depots for the Japanese Shinkansen trains are being constructed in both states as well as stations intended to provide convenient, multi-type travel.The big question: how quickly can Maharashtra catch up? Many hurdles remain, including the slow pace of land acquisition and political clearances in urban areas like Mumbai. Besides full coordination between the two states looks way off. But with 300 km of viaducts now in place, India's bullet train dream is a step closer to reality. It's climbing, inch by inch, up and over the ground.Subscribe to India Today Magazine
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