India’s First Mountain High-Speed Rail Tunnel Achieves Breakthrough in Palghar, Marking Major Milestone for Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project
In a dashing boost to India’s most ambitious rail infrastructure venture, the first high-speed rail mountain tunnel under the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has successfully achieved its breakthrough in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
The milestone was marked on Friday, with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw participating in the programme via video conferencing from Rail Bhavan.
Addressing the occasion, the Railway Minister said the bullet train will operate at a top speed of 320 kilometres per hour, dramatically transforming long-distance travel between India’s financial and commercial hubs.
First Mountain Tunnel Completed in Maharashtra
The newly completed tunnel, known as Tunnel No. 5, is 1.5 kilometres long and is located between Virar and Boisar stations.
Carved through hilly terrain, it is among the longest tunnels in Palghar district and represents the first mountain tunnel completed for the high-speed rail project in Maharashtra.
This is the second tunnel to be completed in the state. Earlier, in September 2025, India’s first underground high-speed rail tunnel — a five-kilometre-long stretch between Thane and Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) — was completed, setting another national benchmark in rail engineering.
Cutting Travel Time, Setting New Speed Standards
Highlighting the transformative potential of the project, Vaishnaw said the Japan-backed high-speed train technology will reduce the current seven-to-eight-hour journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just 2 hours and 17 minutes.
The trains will be designed for safe and reliable operations at speeds of up to 320 kmph, placing India firmly on the global high-speed rail map.
Beyond Speed: An Engine of Economic Change
The Railway Minister stressed that the bullet train project is not merely about speed, but about reshaping India’s economic landscape.
The service is expected to be comfortable and budget-friendly for the middle class, while construction activities are already generating employment for thousands.
In the long run, the corridor is likely to catalyse the development of new IT clusters and industrial hubs along its route.
From an environmental standpoint, the project offers substantial benefits, with carbon emissions projected to be 95 per cent lower than comparable road transport, making it a significant step toward greener mobility.
Extensive Tunnel Network, Including India’s First Undersea Tunnel
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor includes an extensive network of tunnels totalling 27.4 kilometres.
One of the most ambitious components is a 21-kilometre-long underground tunnel near Thane Creek, of which seven kilometres will pass beneath the sea.
This will be India’s first-ever undersea rail tunnel.
In total, eight tunnels are being constructed through hilly terrain, seven of them located in Maharashtra with a combined length of approximately 6.05 kilometres.
In Gujarat, a 350-metre-long tunnel near Jaroli village in Valsad district has already been completed.
Rapid Progress on Bridges Across Major Rivers in Gujarat
Construction work on bridges across major rivers along the corridor is progressing rapidly, particularly in Gujarat.
The project’s longest river bridge, spanning 1.2 kilometres, is being built across the Narmada River at Bharuch.
Significant progress has also been made on the bridge over the Tapi River near Surat, while major bridges across the Mahi River near Anand and Vadodara have been completed.
In addition, bridges are under construction across several other rivers, including the Sabarmati, Purna, Ambika, Auranga, and Vishwamitri. Girder launching across almost all major rivers in Gujarat has reached an advanced stage.
Project Status, Stations and Depots
According to the Railway Minister, approximately 55 per cent of the entire project has been completed so far.
The successful excavation of Mountain Tunnel No. 5 is being seen as a major engineering achievementinn this progress.
The corridor will feature a total of 12 stations. In Maharashtra, stations will be located at Mumbai, Thane, Virar and Boisar. In Gujarat, stations include Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
The Mumbai terminal station will be at Bandra-Kurla Complex.
While rail corridors of this length typically require two depots, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project will have three depots to support operations and maintenance.
A Landmark in India’s Infrastructure Journey
With complex tunnelling, massive river bridges and the country’s first undersea rail tunnel taking shape, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is emerging as one of the most technologically advanced infrastructure undertakings in India’s history — a symbol of speed, sustainability and economic transformation.
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