The Ministry of Railways has postponed the formal start of bullet train tunneling work amid Mumbai rains
Commuters wade through waterlogged LBS Road in Kurla West, Mumbai. File | Photo credit: PTI
The Ministry of Railways on Saturday (July 5, 2026) postponed the formal start of tunneling work for the bullet train project in Mumbai due to inclement weather and told the authorities to start the work immediately.
Ministry officials said it has been raining in Mumbai for the past few days and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued “red” and “orange” warnings for the next few days.
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“Due to adverse weather conditions, we have decided to postpone the official commencement of underground tunneling using tunnel boring machines for the first time on the bullet train project by the railway minister,” said a senior official.
“However, we have asked the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) to start the work immediately without an official launch so that the project is not delayed,” the official added.
The underground tunneling work being carried out by Afcons Infrastructure Limited will now start TBM operation for timely completion and launch of bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, NHSRCL officials said.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was scheduled to start the excavation of underground tunnels from Vikhroli to Bandra Kurla Complex station in Mumbai on Sunday (July 5, 2026), marking the first use of a tunnel boring machine for the country’s first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Two customized German-made tunnel boring machines (TBMs) imported by sea from China in March 2026 are the property of Afcons Infrastructure Limited, which is building a 20.37 km long tunnel, including a 7 km long underwater section. The tunnel will be built at a depth of around 65 meters below ground level.
Officials said the first TBM will start excavating the tunnel from Vikhroli towards BKC station, covering a distance of around 5.8 km.
The second TBM is currently being assembled in Sawli and is expected to be ready within a week. It will excavate a 9.7 km stretch from Sawli to Vikhroli, including a 7 km subsea section.
Each TBM is expected to drive around 300 meters of tunnel each month. After the commissioning of both machines, around 600 meters of tunnels will be completed every month.
Explaining the project, officials said the 20.37 km long tunnel stretches from BKC station to Shilphata.
“Out of the total length, 15.4 km between BKC and Sawli will be excavated using TBM. The remaining 4.8 km section from Sawli to Shilphat has already been completed by drill and blast method,” they said.
The tunnel will be single-tube, which will accommodate two-track tracks for two-way traffic.
Construction will be facilitated by two shafts at Vikhroli and Sawli at depths of approximately 56 and 39 meters respectively. The package will also include the construction of 39 equipment rooms at 37 locations adjacent to the tunnel.
These TBMs are among the largest and most expensive heavy machines to be deployed in India.
Each has a knife head diameter of 13.6 metres, making it one of the largest tunnel boring machines used on any railway project in the country.
In comparison, TBMs used for urban metro rail systems typically have a blade head diameter of 5 to 6 meters.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor, India’s first bullet train project, is 508 km long and aims to provide high-speed connectivity between Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Published – 05 Jul 2026 06:54 IST