Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Adds 8th Steel Bridge in Gujarat
23 Jun 2025 CW Team
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached another major construction milestone in Gujarat with the successful launch of its eighth steel bridge. This marks nearly 50 per cent progress on the 17 steel structures planned for the state as part of the high-speed rail corridor.
The latest installation is a 100-metre-long steel span positioned over the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) tracks near Bharuch. It is one of 28 steel bridges planned along the entire corridor, of which 17 are located in Gujarat.
Weighing approximately 1,400 metric tons, the bridge stands 14.6 metres tall and spans 14.3 metres in width. It was fabricated at a facility in Trichy and transported to the site using specialised trailers. A launching nose, measuring 84 metres and weighing 600 metric tons, was used to position the bridge into place.
The structure was assembled 18 metres above ground level on temporary trestles using 55,300 high-strength Tor-Shear bolts. It also includes elastomeric bearings and C5-grade protective paint, ensuring a projected lifespan of 100 years. The bridge was launched using two semi-automatic jacks with a capacity of 250 tons each, operated through mac-alloy bars.
To avoid disruption to freight operations on the DFC tracks, the launch was carefully coordinated through phased traffic blocks.
With this latest development, eight steel bridges have now been completed across Gujarat at locations including Surat, Vadodara, Nadiad, Silvassa, and Bharuch. Among the most notable is a 230-metre-long span over the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Vadodara, the heaviest structure to date, weighing 4,397 metric tons.
The project is being executed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) and forms part of India's first high-speed rail corridor, designed to significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.