Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train: Bids Invited For 21 Km Long Tunnel Between BKC And Shilphata, Including India's First Undersea Tunnel

With the Bullet train project getting traction, NHSRCL has invited bids for the tunneling works for 21 km long tunnel including the long awaited 7 km undersea tunnel, using tunnel boring machine (TBM) and New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor.

The tunnel will be between the underground station at Bandra-Kurla Complex and Shilphata in Maharashtra.

The proposed 7 km undersea tunnel at Thane Creek has generated much interest in the Bullet train project. With the higher speed upto 300 kmph, the train ride undersea is expected to last a few minutes only.

This will be the first undersea tunnel to come up in the country.

The tunnel will be a single tube tunnel to accommodate twin tracks for both-up and down track. For the undersea work, 39 equipment rooms at 37 locations will also be constructed adjoining the tunnel location as part of the package.

In order to construct this tunnel, TBMs with a cutter head of 13.1 meter diameter will be used. Usually 5-6 meter diameter cutter heads are used for urban tunnels used in MRTS – Metro system.

Three tunnel boring machines will be used to make about 16 km of the tunnel portion and the remaining 5 km will be through New Austrian Tunnelling Method.

This tunnel will be about 25 to 65 meters deep from the ground level and the deepest construction point will be 114m below the Parsik hill near Shilphata.

Three shafts at BKC (under package C1), Vikhroli, and Sawli at approximate depths of 36, 56 and 39 meter respectively will facilitate the construction.

Besides, an incline shaft of 42 meter at Ghansoli and tunnel portal at Shilphata will facilitate the construction of approximately 5 km of tunnel through NATM tunnelling method.

The bid submission end date is 19 January 2023.

The bids for the design and construction of underground Bandra Kurla Complex high speed rail station, including cut and cover length of 467m and ventilation shaft of 66m in Mumbai, Maharashtra, under C1 package was floated on 22 July 2022 and bids submission end date is 20 October 2022. 

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