Railway Minister Ashwini to launch Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train tunnel work

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate the underground tunnel-boring work from Vikhroli to the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station in Mumbai on Sunday, marking the first use of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the country’s first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Imported by sea from China in March 2026, the two customised German-made tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are owned by Afcons Infrastructure Limited, which is constructing a 20.37-km tunnel, including a 7-km undersea stretch. The tunnel will be built at a depth of about 65 metres below ground



level.

“The Railway Minister will push a button to commence the operation of the tunnel boring machine stationed 56.6 metres below ground level at Vikhroli,” an official of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said.

Officials said the first TBM will begin tunnelling from Vikhroli towards the BKC station, covering a distance of approximately 5.8 km.

The second TBM is currently being assembled at Sawli and is expected to be ready within a week. It will excavate the 9.7-km stretch from Sawli to Vikhroli, including the 7-km undersea section.