Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Achieves Key Milestone with Kolak River Bridge Completion

A significant landmark for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train has been reached with the completion of the bridge over Kolak River in Gujarat. This crucial step brings India’s premier high-speed rail project closer to reality, showcasing engineering excellence and promising reduced travel times and economic benefits.

In a key milestone for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, the construction of the bridge over the Kolak River in Valsad district, Gujarat, has been successfully completed. This marks another step forward in the development of India's first high-speed rail corridor.

The NHSRCL announced that the Kolak River bridge, extending 160 meters in length, features four full-span girders, each 40 meters long. NHSRCL is responsible for this ambitious project.

The bridge's piers, standing between 14 to 23 meters high, include two 4-meter diameter circular piers and three 5-meter diameter circular piers. Situated strategically between Vapi and Bilimora stations, the bridge follows other infrastructural achievements in the area, like the completion of bridges over the Auranga and Par rivers.

The completion of the Kolak River bridge not only showcases technical prowess but also accelerates the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project's realization. Promised to reduce travel time and boost regional economic growth, the project is slated to begin services between Surat and Bilimora by 2026, according to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Launched in November 2021, the corridor has made steady progress, overcoming initial land acquisition delays. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe initiated the project in September 2017, envisaged to be a game-changer for India's transportation sector.

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a Special Purpose Vehicle with equity participation from the Central Government, and the Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra, was set up in 2016. Initially estimated to cost Rs 108,000 crore with an 8-year completion timeline, the project underscores India's commitment to modernizing its rail infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)