With this award, all three track construction packages for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor have now been secured by Indian companies, marking a major boost to domestic expertise in high-speed rail infrastructure.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has signed a contract with Larsen & Toubro Ltd for the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of track and related works for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor in Maharashtra. The scope covers approximately 157 route km between the Mumbai bullet train station and Zaroli village on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, including track works for four stations and a rolling stock depot at Thane.
This marks a significant milestone in India’s first bullet train project, which is being implemented with Japanese technical collaboration and modelled on the Shinkansen system. The ballast-less slab track technology being deployed consists of four key components: reinforced concrete (RC) track beds, cement asphalt mortar (CAM), pre-cast track slabs, and rail fasteners.
All three track construction packages for the MAHSR corridor have now been awarded to Indian companies, strengthening domestic capabilities in high-speed rail infrastructure. In Gujarat, track construction under packages T-2 and T-3 is progressing rapidly, with over 200 kilometres of viaduct already completed.
Under a memorandum of understanding with NHSRCL, the Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS) has conducted extensive training and certification programmes for Indian engineers, supervisors, and technicians. Covering 15 specialised modules, the training includes track slab manufacturing, RC track bed construction, slab track installation, and CAM application. Over 430 engineers have already been trained in Gujarat, and similar programmes will be rolled out in Maharashtra ahead of track installation.
Project Update
As of September 8, viaduct construction has reached 320 km, with pier works completed across 397 km and pier foundations laid over 408 km, an NHSRCL spokesperson said. Seventeen river bridges, nine steel bridges, and five pre-stressed concrete (PSC) bridges have been completed. Along 203 km of alignment, 400,000 noise barriers have been installed to mitigate sound pollution.
Track bed construction has progressed to 202 track km, while 1,800 overhead equipment (OHE) masts have been installed across approximately 44 km of the mainline viaduct. Tunnel works are also advancing, with excavation underway on seven mountain tunnels in Palghar district and construction progressing on the 21-kilometre tunnel between BKC and Shilphata in Maharashtra.
Station development is moving swiftly. In Gujarat, superstructure work at all stations is at an advanced stage. In Maharashtra, construction has commenced on all three elevated stations, and base slab casting is underway at the Mumbai underground station.