Latest news with #NationalHighSpeedRailCorporationLtd
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
3 tunnelling machines stuck at Chinese port, may slow down bullet train project
Mumbai: Three massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), essential for building the underground section of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train corridor, are stuck at a Chinese port and could potentially delay work on India's first high-speed rail project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Although the TBMs were ordered from German tunnelling specialist Herrenknecht, they were manufactured at its facility in Guangzhou, China. The consignments — two of them expected to arrive in India by Oct 2024 and one earlier this year— have not received clearance from Chinese authorities, who have cited no official reason for the hold-up. The issue has raised diplomatic concerns, prompting the railway ministry to take the matter to the external affairs ministry. Diplomatic channels have reportedly been activated to push for release of the equipment, which includes not just the TBMs but also parts critical for other infrastructure works. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) planned to commission them for tunnelling between BKC and Sawli (Ghansoli). A prolonged delay in TBM deployment for the bullet train project could affect the underground tunnel construction schedule, especially for the critical 21-km stretch from BKC to Shilphata, which includes a 7-km undersea section beneath Thane creek, sources said. Though NHSRCL officials refused to comment, sources maintained the overall project deadline remains unchanged for now. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), the development agency for the Rs 1.08 lakh crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, planned to commission three TBMs — TBM-1 and TBM-2 for tunnelling between Sawli (Ghansoli)–Vikhroli and Vikhroli–BKC, and TBM-3 for Vikhroli to Sawli. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the first two were to arrive in Oct 2024, TBM-3 was scheduled to arrive earlier this year. Since the Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020, India has tightened scrutiny on Chinese investments. This has led to delays, cancellations, and increased bureaucratic oversight for Chinese-origin contracts and consignments. That year, MMRDA scrapped bids for the Mumbai Monorail project involving two Chinese firms. Additionally, Maharashtra govt put on hold three major MoUs signed under the Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 initiative with Chinese companies worth over Rs 5,000 crore. TBMs for Mumbai's metro network and coastal road project also came from China, but that was before the 2020 Galwan clash. The TBM for the Thane Borivli tunnel project via Sanjay Gandhi National Park was manufactured at Herrenknecht's facility in Alinjivakkam, Tamil Nadu. The TBMs for the bullet train project are not ordinary machines. One of them is the largest ever built for Indian soil, with a cutter head diameter of 13.56 m. In contrast, metro TBMs typically measure between 6.45 to 6.68 m in diameter. Even the 12.19-m 'Mavala' TBM used for Mumbai's coastal road project is smaller. Manufactured at Herrenknecht's Guangzhou facility, the TBM is equipped with a mixshield configuration, designed to navigate varied geological conditions with precision. It will be deployed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd to excavate the 20.377-km underground Package C-2, stretching from BKC station to Shilphata ramp. This section includes the challenging 7-km subsea tunnel under Thane creek. Afcons bagged the Rs 6,397 crore contract for this underground package in June 2023, with a completion timeline of 5.17 years. As part of preparatory work, the company is currently constructing three vertical shafts at BKC (36 m deep), Vikhroli (56 m), and Sawli (39 m). These shafts will act as launch and retrieval points for the TBMs. An inclined shaft at Ghansoli (42 m) and a tunnel portal at Shilphata are also being developed to support 5 km of NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method) tunnelling. Afcons Infrastructure Ltd officials refused to comment. The tunnel will reach depths ranging from 25 to 65 m below ground level and dip as deep as 114 m beneath Parsik Hill near Shilphata. Officials familiar with the developments said NHSRCL, Herrenknecht, Afcons, and the relevant ministries are working in coordination to resolve the impasse.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Vishwamitri cleared for monsoon flow amid bullet train work
Vadodara: With the monsoon approaching, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has begun removing temporary obstructions from the Vishwamitri river to ensure unimpeded water flow in areas affected by the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and a Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC)-appointed expert committee had raised concerns about blockages in the river and stormwater channels due to ongoing infrastructure work by NHSRCL and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). In response, officials from both agencies assured that all obstructions would be cleared before the onset of heavy rains. According to NHSRCL, the bullet train alignment intersects or runs alongside the Vishwamitri river at nine locations in and around Vadodara. The pier design adopted — circular in shape and spanning approximately 1.7km with 46 piers — has been engineered to allow unrestricted river flow, with pier diameters ranging from 4 to 5 metres, posing no hydrological obstruction. To prepare for the rains, NHSRCL reported that all construction debris, temporary crossings, and approach structures near the river have been removed. The agency has also implemented daily monitoring of water levels and flow rates during the peak monsoon season in major rivers. Additionally, NHSRCL highlighted its Crocodile Management and Conservation Plan, acknowledging the Vishwamitri's ecological significance as a natural crocodile habitat. The plan includes signage, emergency contacts, protective fencing and barricades to restrict crocodile movement into sensitive zones. Earlier this month, the project officials informed both the expert committee and VMC that several obstructions had already been removed, with remaining clearances and bank stabilisation works scheduled to be completed by June 15.
