DELHI (Metro Rail News): The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has achieved another major milestone with the breakthrough of its third mountain tunnel in Maharashtra. Engineers completed the excavation of the tunnel at Ambesari village in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district.
The breakthrough marks significant growth on one of the most challenging stretches of India’s first high-speed rail corridor, where the alignment passes through hilly terrain between Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Third tunnel completed in Palghar district
The newly completed tunnel, known as MT- 07 meters, is 417 meters long and 14.4 meters wide. It will carry both up and down bullet train tracks. Construction teams excavated the tunnel from both ends using the controlled drilling and blasting method. Throughout the work, engineers closely monitored the tunnel and surrounding area to ensure safety and stability.
Project teams installed several monitoring instruments to track tunnel behaviour and ground movement in real time. These include,
- Surface settlement points
- 3D targets
- Strain gauges
- Seismographs
These systems helped engineers monitor vibrations, tunnel performance and nearby structures during excavation. Teams also focused on worker safety by maintaining proper ventilation inside the tunnel, fire safety arrangement, controlled entry systems and continuous geotechnical monitoring.
Three mountain tunnels completed in five months
The latest breakthrough comes as construction gathers pace in Maharashtra. Over the last five months, engineers have completed excavation of three mountain tunnels.
| Tunnel | Length | Breakthrough Date |
| MT-05 | 1.5 km | 2 January 2026 |
| MT-06 | 454 m | 3 February 2026 |
| MT-07 | 417 m | 1 June 2026 |
Earlier, MT-08, which is 350 metres long, achieved a breakthrough on 5 October 2023. With the completion of MT-07, the project has now excavated three mountain tunnels in Maharashtra within a span of 5 months.
Status of remaining mountain tunnels
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project includes eight mountain tunnels in total.
- Seven tunnels are located in Palghar district of Maharashtra
- One tunnel is located in Valsad district of Gujarat
Construction progress on the remaining tunnels stands at:
| MT-01 | Work progressing gradually |
| MT-02 | Work progressing gradually |
| MT-03 | More than 80% excavation completed |
| MT-04 | Nearly 60% excavation completed |
Boisar-Vapi section records major progress
The route between Boisar in Maharashtra and Vapi in Gujarat passes through a major industrial belt. It includes three mountain tunnels (MT-08, MT-07, MT-06). With the latest breakthrough, all 3 tunnels on this section have now been fully excavated. This marks significant progress on a key stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train corridor, where construction activity has gathered pace in recent months.
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