Another important success in engineering is the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, where a 230-meter-long steel bridge was successfully launched over National Highway-64 (NH-64) and a running railway line at Bharuch, Gujarat. The achievement is an important milestone in the building of the first high-speed rail in India, and it is one that is being built by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
Officials claimed that the large steel structure was precisely placed by high-tech launching methods that are aimed at safety and precision in high-traffic roads and railways. Its installation, which was done without interrupting the normal traffic, shows how precise the engineering and careful planning of such a complex infrastructure work is when it comes to such a grand scale. The bridge will be a major element of the elevated corridor that will accommodate the bullet trains travelling at a speed of up to 350 km/h.
The Bharuch bridge is a component of a group of steel constructions being developed along the 508-kilometre corridor of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail running through challenging geography and urbanized areas. The proposed bridge, which is 230 meters long, is expected to be the effortless crossing of NH-64 and existing railway lines, with the entire high-speed rail alignment grade-separated, being full and complete.
The engineers working on the project noted that such long bridges made of steel must have a meticulous design, fabrication in dedicated plants, transportation in massive parts and finally on-site assembly. The successful opening also highlights the continuity in the construction pace of the project and specifically in Gujarat, where a major part of the civil work is being carried out ahead of schedule.
According to the officials, the completion of this large bridge will clear the way to other processes like track bed preparation, laying overhead electrification systems, and ultimately laying high-speed tracks. Already having over 150 kilometres of viaducts, pillars, and other structures installed in the corridor, the project is gradually nearing its trial run stage.
The Bullet Train Project is designed to transform the passenger transport system in India, whereby it will take not more than two to three hours to travel between Mumbai and Ahmedabad as opposed to the six to seven hours it takes to travel by traditional rail. The advanced Shinkansen technology of Japan will also be incorporated in the corridor, and it will also comprise state-of-the-art safety, exclusive stations, as well as modern operational infrastructure.
The most recent development in Bharuch has been broadly celebrated as an indicator of fast and continuous development, which serves to cement the belief that the first high-speed rail system in India is gradually being built.
