India’s first bullet train is slowly moving from plans to pillars. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday shared a glimpse of the work taking shape across Thane and Palghar, calling it, “a whole new vibe!” The 135.45-km elevated section stretches from Shilphata in Thane district to Zaroli village on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border.The route cuts through varied terrain, with 124.027 km of the section comprising viaducts and bridges, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said in an official release on Tuesday.The construction is at different stages along the stretch. Pier work is underway across more than 100 km, while nearly 74 km of piers have been completed and are ready for viaduct girders.The work is being supported by nine casting yards, seven full-span launching gantries and eight SBS launching gantries, all currently operational in Maharashtra.Three elevated stations are also coming up along the stretch: Thane, Virar and Boisar. The Thane station has a concourse level around 12 metres above the natural ground level, a design aimed at protecting and preserving local mangroves in the eco-sensitive zone.The tunnels are making progress too. Of the seven planned mountain tunnels on the section, three have already achieved breakthrough, with drainage, waterproofing and lining work now underway.Bridges are another key part of the stretch, including a 460-metre bridge over the Ulhas River, a 2.32-km bridge over the Vaitarna River and a 510-metre bridge over the Jagani River.Overall, the section will have 36 bridges and crossings, including 12 steel bridges over major railway lines, the Mumbai-Nashik Highway and the Ulhas River.The release said the progress reflects the engineering work behind the project under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s drive to expand next-generation railway infrastructure.
