First Underwater Bullet Train in India: All You Need to Know
India is reportedly considering a number of high-speed rail projects, including one linking Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and is said to be considering building a high-speed rail line between the two cities, as well as one linking Mumbai with Delhi.
It could also be easier for the country to invest in medium-speed trains that could run on the existing system than to pay for the specialized infrastructure needed to run high-speed trains.
The bullet trains, which travel at a maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour, are to cover the distance of 508 km from Mumbai to Ahmedabad in two hours and seven minutes. Along the route, they will cover twelve stations and can expect top speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour. India’s railways are currently experiencing problems with railway safety, but this problem could soon be resolved. According to a report, the Bullet Train project also has undersea tunnels and this technology can benefit the construction sector in India. Indian railways and has the potential to create a new type of high-speed rail system in the country.
The underwater bullet train in India will be operational from 2022, experts believe. Tunneling works for the project has already been commissioned by the government of India. Double-line high-speed railway for the project using a tunnel boring machine (TBM) and a new Austrian tunneling method (NATM) will be in place.
India’s first undersea bullet train! Don’t be surprised, it is not some distant dreams. A tender has been issued for India’s first undersea tunnel by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, according to a report.
First undersea tunnel in India: Know all the details
The bullet train project will have a 21-kilometer long underground tunnel in Maharashtra state from BKC to Kalyan Shilphata. Around 7 kilometers from this underwater canyon lies underneath the Thane creek. Of this, 1.8 km long segment will be constructed under the seabed, while the remaining portion of the stretch will be built on either side of the creek under the mangroves marshland, the study said.
There will be a total of 12 stops between the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train route – Bandra Kurla Complex, Thane, Boisar, Virar, Vapi, Surat, Bilimora, Bharuch, Sabarmati, Baroda, Anand and Ahmedabad railway stations. It is expected that the development work of this project will be finished by 2022-2023.
The technology behind the underwater tunnel in India
The Government of India has instructed the contract company to complete the job over a span of 3.5 years (1,280 days). It is believed that a team of engineers from NHSRCL, RITES, and Japan’s Kawasaki Geological Engineering company undertook a geotechnical study of the undersea tunnel area last year. To research the seabed composition, the team performed a static refraction technique (SRT) test, which involved shooting a high-energy sound wave from below the water surface into the seabed, as well as measuring the refracted sound wave to determine the density of the rock beneath the seabed. Last year the project submitted its final report.
Underwater Bullet Trains: How do they look?
India ordered 18 Shinkansen E5 series trains from Japan worth INR 70 billion. Each train has 10 coaches and has the capacity to achieve speeds of up to 315 kmph. Economy flights would cost about INR 3,000, and first-class services will be the same as airline services.
Recommended Read:International Train Routes in India: All You Need to Know
More underwater bullet trains proposed
Another proposed underwater train route is from Mumbai to the UAE which is planned to be built by a Dubai-based company. The underwater rail line stretches from Fujairah to Mumbai, stretching 2000 km in total. It will be used for both commuting and the transit of goods. A high-speed rail network between Mumbai and Delhi is also proposed by the government.
Indian Railways have identified six new corridors for the construction of bullet trains. Apart from the prepossessed Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail route, there’re six routes proposed.
Delhi-Noida-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi (865 km)
Delhi-Jaipur-Udaipur-Ahmedabad (886km)
Mumbai-Nashik-Nagpur (753 km)
Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad (711 km)
Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore (435 km)
Delhi-Chandigarh-Ludhiana-Jalandhar-Amritsar (459 km)