High-Speed Rail Passes Milestone as Construction Begins on Vaitarna River Bridge

Construction on a critical segment of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has begun, marking a significant milestone for India‘s first high-speed rail system.

National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said on Monday that the construction of a temporary bridge is underway.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the NHSRCL wrote: “Construction of temporary access bridge is underway at the Vaitarna River for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. The bridge, spanning 2.32 kilometers (1.44 miles), will be the longest river crossing on this route.”

Newsweek reached out to the NHSRCL via email for comment

The bridge over the Vaitarna River is only one of several complex river crossings planned along the route.

While this particular bridge is the longest, other segments of the project, such as the Narmada River bridge, present unique challenges.

The Narmada bridge will feature 25 circular piers, five of which will be anchored more than 70 meters below the surface—some deeper than the iconic Qutub Minar, which stands 72.5 meters tall, as per the Financial Express.

The NHSRCL is planning to launch girders from both ends of the structure. These will be situated between the Surat and Bharuch railway stations, according to the Financial Express.

The NHSRCL has already made significant progress in other areas. It was announced that a bridge was completed in the state of Gujarat in August.

This marked the 11th completed river bridge out of 20 that have been planned. The completed ones are the Par, Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, Auranga, Venganiya, Mohar, Dhadhar, Kolak and Vatrak river bridges.

These logistical feats underscore the scale and ambition of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which is set to be a transformative force in India’s transportation infrastructure.

The High-Speed Rail Project

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is the first high-speed rail project in India.

The line, which is expected to be completed by 2028, will span more than 300 miles and allow trains to reach speeds of up to 200 mph.

The project has been funded in part by Japan, which has provided financial and technical assistance.

This high-speed rail initiative includes additional corridors that will connect major cities across the country, in a bid to transform how people do business and travel in the region.

Once operational, the bullet train will not only cut travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just a few hours, but it will also serve as a symbol of India’s growing infrastructure capabilities.

Countries with high-speed rail projects have previously been mapped by Newsweek, drawing on data from the International Union of Railways.

China leads high speed rail projects, with the largest global network.

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