Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces successful breakthrough of 2nd mountain tunnel of MAHSR project

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the successful breakthrough of the second mountain tunnel of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project in Palghar of Maharashtra. This marks a key milestone in the country’s ambitious bullet train corridor.

This tunnel is 454 metres long with a width of 14.4 metres, and will accommodate both up and down tracks for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. Mr Vaishnaw yesterday hailed the entire team for working at a good pace, saying that the entire world is witnessing India’s first high-speed rail project. He informed that the breakthrough of the second mountain tunnel in Palghar has been achieved within a month, with the first breakthrough happening on 2nd January this year.

Mr Vaishnaw highlighted that many advanced construction technologies and large machines being used for the project are manufactured in India. He also said the Gujarat section of the bullet train project is expected to begin commercial operations next year. He added that high-speed rail operations are expected to extend up to Thane by 2028, with the corridor reaching Mumbai by 2029.

Speaking on the occasion, Member of Parliament from Palghar Lok Sabha constituency, Hemant Vishnu Savara expressed gratitude to the Railways Minister for the high-speed tunnel breakthrough. He highlighted the district’s rapid development through several key railway projects, including the high-speed rail corridor, the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), and the upcoming Vadhvan Port.