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India.com

11-06-2025

China, a country frequently recognized for its immense technological advancements and manufacturing capabilities, has made a significant impact on the global high-speed rail scene. In just 15 years, it built 47,000 kilometres of track, connecting cities, revolutionizing travel, and serving as a gold standard for infrastructure worldwide. Speaking of India, India is moving forward—albeit at a slower pace—with its first bullet train project, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor. By June 2025, 300 km of viaduct construction had been completed, with the first phase of operations expected to begin by 2028.
The Shanghai Maglev is more than a train; it's a vision for the future of transport. It is the fastest train in commercial service today, reaching speeds of up to 431 km/h, gliding above the tracks with ease using innovative magnetic levitation (maglev) technology instead of conventional wheels and tracks. With trains regularly travelling above the speed of 300 km/h, travel times like Beijing's journeys to Shanghai, which used to take almost a full day, now occur in just over three hours. Backed by domestic ingenuity and big plans for international extension, China's high-speed train network is famously unparalleled in both the scale at which China operates and speed at which trains travel.
According to The Times of India report, as Europe took decades to construct its network of high-speed trains, the experience with India's first bullet train has been slow but steady. Almost eight years after construction started in 2017, the project is still going on. As of June 2025, a mere 300 kilometres of viaducts had been completed on the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.
This achievement was marked by the launching of a 40 m long full-span box girder near Surat, Gujarat, according to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) statement. This ambitious project has been developed in collaboration with Japan, and aims to reduce the travel time between two major financial centres in India—a trip that currently takes more than 7 hours to a little less than 3. The first phase of the project, which runs from Sabarmati to Vapi, is expected to be operational by 2028.
NHSRCL stated, 'Out of 300 km of superstructure, 257.4 km is constructed through Full Span Launching Method (FSLM) including 14 river bridges, 37.8 km through Span by Span (SBS), 0.9 km steel bridges (10 spans ranging from 60 to 130 m in 7 bridges), 1.2 km PSC bridges (20 spans ranging from 40 to 80 m in 5 bridges) and 2.7 km in station building .'For constructing 257.4 km of viaduct through FSLM and 37.8 km of viaduct through SBS, 6455 & 925 spans of 40 m each, respectively, were used. The project has supported the use of indigenously designed and manufactured equipment such as Straddle Carriers, Launching Gantries, Bridge Gantries, and Girder Transporters for construction.
This marks a first for Indian infrastructure, showcasing India's growing capabilities in high-speed rail technology with the support of the Japanese government. The adoption of the Full Span Launching Method has significantly accelerated construction, as full-span girder erection is up to ten (10) times faster than conventional segmental methods. Each full-span box girder weighs 970 metric tons. Segmental girders are used selectively in locations where full-span installation is not feasible.
As per the news agency ANI report, to facilitate construction, 27 dedicated casting yards were established along the corridor. Steel bridges are fabricated in seven workshops spread all across the country, three in Gujarat, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal truly exemplifying the spirit of unity of our country. More than 3 lakh noise barriers have been installed along the viaducts to mitigate noise during operations. In addition to the viaducts, the project has also completed 383 km of pier work, 401 km of foundation work and 326 km of girder casting. The thematic Bullet Train stations are rapidly taking shape. These stations will be integrated with the rail and road based transport system to provide seamless travel to passengers. The stations will be equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities.
Track works over viaducts have also started, and around 157 track km of RC track bed construction has been achieved so far in Gujarat. The rolling stock depots with modern infrastructure are also getting ready in Maharashtra and Gujarat.This milestone is a demonstration of the project's robust planning, cutting-edge engineering, and commitment to the 'Make in India' policy.
(With agencies inputs)