India’s First Bullet Train Project Moves at Full Speed: 100-Foot Deep Underground Station and Undersea Tunnel Taking Shape

India’s much-anticipated high-speed rail initiative is advancing at a rapid pace, with the country's first bullet train project slated to launch its initial section by the final quarter of 2027. Spanning a total length of 508 kilometers between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the ambitious infrastructure development integrates cutting-edge engineering techniques, featuring deep underground facilities and undersea passages. A key engineering marvel of the corridor is currently underway at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, where an underground bullet train station is being constructed approximately 100 feet (about 32 meters) beneath the surface. Deeper than a ten-story building, this sole underground station on the high-speed route features three distinct levels encompassing platforms, a concourse, and service areas. The station will house six platforms, each stretching over 400 meters in length. Further along the alignment in Maharashtra, the corridor incorporates a 21-kilometer tunnel stretch, out of which a 7-kilometer section will run beneath the Thane Creek, marking India’s first undersea rail tunnel. Massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs)—weighing over 3,000 tons each with a 13.6-meter diameter cutterhead comparable to a four-story building—have been deployed from Vikhroli and Sawli to carve through the rocky terrain. Once fully operational, the high-speed trains will run at speeds reaching up to 320 kilometers per hour, maintaining an average operational speed of around 300 kilometers per hour. The complete corridor traverses across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, connecting 12 major transit stops: Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati.