Third Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough Achieved in Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project

Mumbai, 2nd June 2026: A major construction milestone has been achieved in the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project with the successful breakthrough of the third mountain tunnel, MT-07, at Ambesari village in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district in Maharashtra.

The breakthrough marks the third successful mountain tunnel excavation completed in Maharashtra within the last five months for India’s first high-speed rail corridor.

According to project officials, the MT-07 tunnel is 417 metres long and 14.4 metres wide and is designed to accommodate both up and down tracks of the Bullet Train corridor. The tunnel excavation was carried out using a controlled drilling and blasting method from both ends.

Advanced monitoring and geotechnical systems were deployed during tunnelling operations to ensure structural stability and worker safety. Real-time monitoring arrangements included Surface Settlement Points (SSP), 3D targets, strain gauges and seismographs to track tunnel behaviour, vibrations and nearby structural conditions throughout the excavation process.

Officials stated that worker safety measures such as ventilation systems, fire-safety arrangements, controlled access and continuous geotechnical supervision were maintained during the tunnelling work.

The latest breakthrough follows earlier milestones achieved in the Maharashtra section of the project. The first mountain tunnel breakthrough, MT-05 near Saphale in Palghar district, was completed on January 2, 2026. The 1.5-km-long tunnel marked the first successful mountain tunnel breakthrough for the Bullet Train Project in Maharashtra.

The second breakthrough, MT-06, was achieved on February 3, 2026. The 454-metre-long tunnel was excavated using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).

Of the eight mountain tunnels planned for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, seven are located in Palghar district of Maharashtra and one in Valsad district of Gujarat, where tunnelling work has already been completed.

Project officials said MT-08, a 350-metre-long tunnel, had earlier achieved breakthrough on October 5, 2023. Excavation work at MT-03 has crossed 80 per cent progress, while MT-04 has reached nearly 60 per cent completion. Work on MT-01 and MT-02 is also progressing steadily.

All three mountain tunnels located between Vapi and Boisar Bullet Train stations MT-08, MT-07 and MT-06 have now been successfully excavated.

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor passes through a major industrial belt between Boisar in Maharashtra and Vapi in Gujarat, where multiple infrastructure works are currently underway as part of the high-speed rail project.