Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project marks third mountain tunnel breakthrough

The Mumbai‑Ahmedabad high‑speed rail corridor achieved its third mountain tunnel breakthrough on June 1, 2026, when tunnel MT‑07 was completed at Ambesari village in Dahanu taluka, Palghar district, Maharashtra. The 417‑metre long, 14‑metre wide tunnel was excavated using controlled drilling and blasting from both ends, with real‑time monitoring systems—including Surface Settlement Points, 3D targets, strain gauges and seismographs—ensuring structural stability and safety.

The tunnel is part of eight mountain tunnels required for the 508‑km bullet‑train line, seven of which lie in Palghar and one in Gujarat's Valsad district. The project, overseen by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) with Japanese technical and financial assistance, now has all three tunnels between Vapi (Gujarat) and Boisar (Maharashtra) completed. The corridor will connect major cities from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, reducing travel time to under two hours. The first operational section, Surat to Bilimora, is slated for August 15 2027, and the entire line is expected by December 2029.