Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Progress: Eleventh Bridge Completed Over Kaveri River, Thirteen More To Go

In a significant milestone for India’s first high-speed rail corridor, the construction of the Kaveri River bridge in Navsari district, Gujarat, was completed on 25 August.

This marks the eleventh of twenty-four planned river bridges for the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project within the state.

This achievement is one of many in the ongoing project, which has already completed bridges over the Par, Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, Auranga, Venganiya, Mohar, Dhadhar, Kolak, and Vatrak rivers.

Located between the Vapi and Bilimora stations, the Kaveri River bridge lies 46 kilometres from Vapi and 4 kilometres from Bilimora. The river, a tributary of the Ambika, originates in the Vansda taluka hills near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border.

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) announced that the bridge spans 120 metres and is supported by three full-span girders, each 40 metres long. The piers supporting the bridge range from 13 to 21 metres in height, with one pier measuring 4 meters in diameter and the others at 5 metres.

In addition, construction on the 1.4-kilometre-long bridge over the Narmada River, the longest river bridge in the Gujarat section of the project, is progressing rapidly. NHSRCL had previously reported that the Narmada bridge is being built on 25 well foundations, with some reaching depths exceeding 70 metres. The deepest foundation stands at 77.11 metres, surpassing the height of Delhi's iconic Qutub Minar.

NHSRCL Managing Director Vivek Kumar Gupta praised the engineers’ efforts, stating, “Our engineers are working tirelessly to ensure the successful completion of the bridge over the mighty Narmada River,” reports ANI.

Despite challenges posed by monsoon floods in September 2023, which temporarily delayed progress, 19 of the 25 well foundations have been completed, and work on the superstructure is underway.

The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor will feature 12 stations, with eight in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. The stations in Gujarat will be located at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, and Vapi. Maharashtra will host stations at Boisar, Virar, Thane, and Mumbai.

The government aims to operationalise the bullet train's first phase between Surat and Bilimora in South Gujarat by 2026.

The NHSRCL aims to complete the bullet train project by 2028, with the train expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to three hours.