Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Progresses With 300 Km Elevated Track
Last Updated:
The completion of300 km of viaduct work marks a significant milestone in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project has reached a significant milestone with 300 km of viaduct work completed.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today, May 20, announced the achievement on X (formerly Twitter). The minister shared the update via a video clip on the social media platform.
The first bullet train project in India, being carried out by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), has reached a significant milestone with this breakthrough.
To ensure speed, limit land acquisition concerns, and prevent level crossings, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor is primarily being built on viaducts. The train line is maintained above ground by these viaducts, which are elevated tracks usually composed of concrete girders and supports.
The NHSRCL reported in November 2023 that the corridor's 250 km of piers and 100 km of viaduct had been completed. 'Progress of Bullet Train project: Till date: 21.11.2023. Pillars: 251.40 km. Elevated super-structure: 103.24 km," in a previous post on X, Railway Minister Vaishnaw included a video showing the current work.
advetisement
The NHSRCL claims that the viaduct work spans the Par, Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, Auranga, and Venganiya, the six main rivers in Gujarat. They are situated in the districts of Navsari and Valsad. The via ducts are constructed with segmental girders and full-span box girders that are 40 meters long. Along the constructed sections, noise barriers are already being put in place.
As per TOI, there are also additional important componentsunder construction. The first reinforced concrete track bed, modelled after Japan's Shinkansen 'J-slab ballastless" track system, was laid in Surat, making it the first installation of its kind in India. A 350-meter mountain tunnel in Valsad was also completed as part of the project, and the first of 28 steel bridges, a 70-meter structure, was built in Surat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid the cornerstone of the bullet train line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on September 14, 2017.
NHSRCL was established in February 2016 and operates as a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of Railways. The national government and the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra share equity in the company.
The high-speed rail corridor is anticipated to revolutionise travel between the two cities once it is operational, bringing Japanese Shinkansen technology to India and drastically cutting down on journey time.
Get the latest updates on car and bike launches in India — including reviews, prices, specs, and performance. Stay informed with breaking auto industry news, EV policies, and more, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Govt launches portal for Waqf properties
The Union government on Friday launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) portal, a centralised platform aimed at creating a digital inventory all Waqf properties, with minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju calling it a 'historic' move that would ensure Waqf assets are utilised effectively and fairly for poor Muslims. 'The UMEED portal will add a new chapter in the history of Waqf property management and administration in India. It will not only bring transparency but will also help the common Muslims, particularly women and children,' Rijiju said after launching the portal. He was accompanied by minister of state for minority affairs George Kurian. Calling it a historic step, Rijiju emphasised that the UMEED central portal — developed by the ministry of minority affairs — is more than just a technological upgrade. 'It is a symbol of the government's firm commitment to safeguarding the rights of minority communities and ensuring that community-owned Waqf assets are utilised effectively and fairly, for the poor Muslims, for whom, it was originally meant,' the Union minister said. The central portal, named after the eponymous UMEED Act of 1995, is intended to streamline the management of Waqf properties, ensure real-time data collection, and provide open access to verified information. It also aims to improve greater transparency, accountability, and public participation, officials familiar with the matter said, adding that all Waqf properties across the country are required to be registered on the portal within six months from the date of launch. Rijiju said that all state waqf board representatives, who participated in the portal launch virtually, have been informed to keep the six-month deadline in mind, while pointing out that not adhering to the same would cause additional delays and 'trouble' for the ministry. Registrations will be carried out by the respective state Waqf boards. Properties that remain unregistered beyond the deadline, and extension, if any, will be classified as disputed and referred to the Waqf tribunal, officials said. Ministry of minority affairs secretary Chandra Shekhar Kumar said the UMEED portal will mandate submission of official documents for registering a Waqf property, aiming to prevent the inclusion of 'illegal or encroached' land. For properties lacking such documentation, he added, the mutawalli will be required to approach the waqf tribunal for verification. Notably, the portal also includes a field that asks whether the waqf property is located on government land. 'Since land is a state subject, it will ultimately be up to the state government to confirm or deny whether the land in question is indeed waqf,' Kumar told HT. The portal launch comes in the backdrop of the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, on April 5 this year. Several petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act are pending before the Supreme Court. The development comes a day after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) opposed the launch of the portal in view of the petitions against the Waqf law being pending before the apex court. Rijiju, however, said, 'I hope the court recognises that this is a landmark law, and it has now been enacted. The opposition must accept this fact and cooperate with the government to ensure smooth implementation. As for the Waqf rules, it is a natural process—we are actively working on it.' According to the guidelines, properties must be registered with detailed descriptions including dimensions, ownership documents, and geotagged locations. Properties recorded under the names of women will not be eligible to be declared as Waqf. Ministry secretary Kumar said that women, children, and economically weaker sections will be among the primary beneficiaries of Waqf assets. The portal generates a 17-digit unique identification number for each property. It features dropdown-based structured data input, integration with GIS mapping and e-Governance tools, and an online grievance redressal mechanism. Public users will have access to basic property information. A three-tier user verification process has been instituted. The 'Maker' is a mutawalli or an authorised person of the Waqf Board who will initiate data entry. The 'Checker' is a district-level officer or a designated official to verify the data. The 'Approver' is the CEO or another officer authorised by the State or UT Waqf Board who will grant final approval. All data on the portal will be governed by existing data protection and privacy regulations. A toll-free helpline has been made available for technical assistance and support.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Yeida acquires 5,000 acres land for development
The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Friday said it has acquired at least 5,200 acres of land in the last five years to develop projects, which will receive a boost due to their proximity to the Noida International Airport which is set to begin operations shortly. Yeida said it is preparing a land bank for the development of four new sectors — 4A, 5, 5A, and 11. These areas will include residential, industrial, and institutional projects, along with special zones such as the Japanese City, Korean City, and Fintech City. The authority plans to buy 5,000 acres more land directly from 2,000 farmers. 'We are talking to farmers and taking land from those willing to sell it. We have bought 5,200 acres in the last five years and the land purchase will continue ,' said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer of Yeida. Yeida said that the Korean City will come up in Sector 4A, where 365 acres will be needed, the Japanese City is planned in Sector 5A over 395 acres. In Sector 11, 750 acres will be used for the Fintech City. Sector 5 will focus on group housing and other residential projects, with land also being set aside for special facilities such as a children's home and orphanage. Multiple land use projects will be allowed in the Japanese and Korean industrial cities. This includes industrial, residential, commercial, and institutional land use to allow construction of residences, hotels, malls, and offices, and more. 'The aim is to provide all necessary facilities within the city, ensuring that Japanese citizens feel at home while preserving their culture. With the airport becoming operational soon, we are now working to bring all these major projects into reality,' said Singh.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Tata Motors, JLR flag EV supply chain as a separate business risk. They don't name China, but its imprint is all over.
New Delhi: Tata Motors Ltd and Jaguar Land Rover have separately highlighted risks to their electric vehicle business for the first time ever, including potential production delays and shortages, likely as a result of China's stranglehold over the EV supply chain. Introducing a new element in their annual report's principle risks segment, titled 'electrification transition', Mumbai-based Tata Motors and its UK-based subsidiary JLR have both underscored the threat of financial losses if the transition to clean technology is not carefully managed. 'Unmanaged supply chain issues can lead to production delays and shortages," the companies said in their annual reports for 2024-25 without mentioning any specific potential trigger. No other homegrown automaker has mentioned electric transition as a separate business risk in their annual report. The disclosures in Tata Motors's and JLR's annual reports come as automakers globally are grappling with China's export restrictions on rare earth magnets. India's auto sector has conveyed to the Union government that production cuts could begin as early as this month if China doesn't resume exports of rare earth magnets, which are used to make electric motors and other parts for EVs. They also flagged that while China has resumed exports of rare earth magnets to foreign companies, applications by Indian automakers remain stuck. As per several estimates, China controls about 80% of the global lithium-ion battery market and about 90% of the global supply chain for rare earth magnets. 'There is a need for the magnets for both EVs and ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles," Shailesh Chandra, managing director at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, told Mint in an interview. 'Different OEMs (original equipment manufacturers, or carmakers) are in different positions with respect to the stock of the magnets." For the long-term, Tata Motors and JLR are investing towards increasing their capacity to manufacture key components. 'To support this electrification, Tata Group's Agratas is to construct the UK's largest battery cell facility in Somerset, which will provide high-performance battery cells for our new electric models," Jaguar Land Rover noted in its annual report. 'Additionally, we are making significant continued investment in upgrading our core facilities and supply chain for electrification." Agratas Energy Storage Solutions Pvt. Ltd is the Tata Group's battery business, with Tata Motors and JLR as its anchor customers. Also read | China's restriction on rare earth magnets repel Indian EV players China's shadow Tata Motors has raised concerns even earlier about its electric vehicle business's direction in international markets, but that was due to a demand slowdown in Europe and the US. 'Given the uncertainty around the pace of EV adoption in key markets, the company may need to extend the life of its ICE platforms beyond the originally planned timeline. It may also consider launching new ICE variants in the future," analysts at Motilal Oswal wrote in a 11 March note. In its latest annual report, Tata Motors has also highlighted its efforts to localise the battery supply chain that is currently dominated by China. Tata Motors's lead in the electric vehicles segment is being aggressively challenged by MG Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, and Hyundai Motor India Ltd, with its domestic EV market share dropping to 55.4% in 2024-25 from 73.1% in FY24 and 84% in FY23. Experts believe the looming shadow of China on the EV supply chain is an identified risk factor for automobile companies. 'Whether it's batteries or magnets, China has established a dominant lead in the supply chain, which is bound to be a risk for domestic and global OEMs," said Abhishek Saxena, former public policy expert at government think-tank Niti Aayog. 'The current magnet crisis shows that supply concentration can have a business impact." Also read | Indian auto stuck in queue as China clears rare earth magnets for others After US President Donald Trump in April announced reciprocal tariffs on countries across the world, China began restricting the export of rare earth magnets. The Chinese government has started asking for end-user certificates declaring that the products made using its rare earth magnets will not be used for defence purposes. But, as per automakers, the process to obtain the certificates is long and arduous, requiring multiple layers of approvals from provincial governments in China and the Chinese commerce ministry. 'Stocks are fast depleting. So far, 30 applications have been submitted to China, but none has received final approval. The Chinese government has said that final approvals will take about 45 days," Rakesh Sharma, executive director at Bajaj Auto Ltd, said during a post-earnings media call on 29 May. Bajaj Auto has warned about severe production cuts starting July if the rare earth magnet issue isn't resolved.
