India To Build Country’s 1st Twin-Track Undersea Rail Tunnel

India’s first Twin-Track Undersea Rail Tunnel is going to be built in Maharashtra. It will be a 7 km undersea tunnel, a part of India’s high-speed rail corridor.

India is set to construct its first twin-track undersea rail tunnel in Thane Creek as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor. 

The project involves building a 7-kilometer-long tunnel that will connect the underground station at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Shilphata in Maharashtra. 

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has signed a contract with Afcons Infrastructure Limited to commence the construction process.

The undersea rail tunnel at Thane Creek will be situated in the intertidal zone and is a significant milestone for India as its first undersea rail tunnel. 

It forms part of a 21-kilometer-long tunnel on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, also known as the Bullet train corridor. 

The tunnel will accommodate twin tracks for both up and down trains and will consist of a single tube.

The construction of the tunnel is a challenging task for the NHSRCL. To overcome this, three tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be used for approximately 16 kilometers of the tunnel, while the remaining 5 kilometers will be constructed using the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM). 

One of the TBMs to be employed in the project will be among the largest in India, featuring a cutter head with a diameter of 13.1 meters. This is significantly larger than the 5-6 meter diameter cutter heads typically used in urban tunnels for metro systems.

To facilitate the construction process, several shafts will be created at strategic locations. These include shafts at BKC, Vikhroli, and Sawli, with approximate depths of 36, 56, and 39 meters respectively. 

Additionally, an inclined shaft of 42 meters at Ghansoli and a tunnel portal at Shilphata will aid in building approximately 5 kilometers of the tunnel using the NATM tunneling method.

The construction of the twin-track undersea rail tunnel marks a significant development in India’s infrastructure. 

Once completed, it will enhance connectivity and provide a faster transportation option between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. 

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The use of advanced tunneling methods and large-scale tunnel boring machines showcases India’s commitment to adopting cutting-edge technology for infrastructure projects.