In a significant development, it has come to light that India’s first undersea rail tunnel will be a part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project.
However, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) with a 13.1-metre wide cutter head will be used to dig this. It will also be used to dig a 7km stretch at Thane Creek under the sea level. A total of three TBMS will be deployed for the purpose by early next year. Moreover, 17 TBMs will also be mobilised this year.
It is pertinent to note that the largest TBM deployed in the country previously was 12.2-metre wide. It was used for digging tunnels for Mumbai’s coastal road project.
The bullet train will consist of a 21 km long tunnel between the underground station at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata in Maharashtra.
The tunnel will be single-tube to accommodate twin tracks for up and down movement of trains. Thirty-nine equipment rooms at 37 locations will also be constructed, adjoining the tunnel location as part of the package.
The tunnel will be about 25 to 65 metres below the ground level. Three shafts at BKC, Vikhroli, and Sawli in Thane at approximate depths of 36m, 56m and 39m will facilitate construction.
The National High Speed Rail Corp. Ltd (NHSRCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed for the construction of the bullet train project, has inked an agreement with M/s Afcons Infrastructure Ltd to construct the 21-km stretch, which includes the 7-km-long undersea rail tunnel.
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