Mumbai: India’s flagship Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is finally set to overcome one of its biggest obstacles. A massive Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which was stranded at a Chinese port, is expected to reach Mumbai by September 24. Officials confirmed that after factory testing and assembly, tunnelling operations will commence in January 2027.
The TBM had become a major bottleneck for India’s first high-speed rail project. Its shipment from China was delayed despite being manufactured at the Guangzhou facility of the German tunnelling company Herrenknecht. Authorities in Beijing had not provided any official reason for the hold-up.
The issue was resolved following diplomatic engagement during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The matter had also been escalated through India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which coordinated with the Rail Ministry to ensure the release of the equipment.
Sources confirmed that the Indian delegation emphasised the TBM shipment as a critical bottleneck requiring Beijing’s cooperation. Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has confirmed that the TBMs have now been cleared for transit.
The first TBM is expected to arrive at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) by September 24 or 25, with the second scheduled to arrive in the following weeks. Once operational in January 2027, the machines will kick-start underground construction work, marking the removal of the project’s most significant foreign hurdle.
A senior official described this as “the single most serious foreign obstacle” to the bullet train’s timely execution.
The blockage had roots in the aftermath of the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese forces. Since then, India has closely scrutinised Chinese investments and shipments, causing delays and cancellations in multiple contracts, including Chinese bids for the Mumbai Monorail and agreements exceeding Rs 5,000 crore in Maharashtra.
Labelled C-2, the underground segment is being executed by Afcons Infrastructure Limited. Awarded in June 2023, the contract has a 5.17-year timeline and a value of Rs 6,397 crore. Initial work includes constructing vertical shafts at BKC (36 metres), Vikhroli (56 metres) and Sawli (39 metres), along with an inclined shaft at Ghansoli (42 metres) and a portal at Shilphata. These structures will serve as launch and retrieval points for the TBMs.
The TBMs will tunnel a 5-kilometre stretch using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). The tunnel will run 25 to 65 metres below the surface, plunging up to 114 metres under the Parsik hill near Shilphata. Once completed, it will accommodate a single tube carrying both up and down tracks of the bullet train. The machine has a mixed-shield structure, specifically designed to navigate complex geological formations.
The 20.37-kilometre underground section will connect Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata, including a 7-kilometre undersea segment beneath Thane Creek. The NHSRCL initially plans to deploy two TBMs, with the option to use a third if required to meet project deadlines.
With the TBM now en route to India, the long-delayed bullet train project is poised to move into its critical underground construction phase, signalling a major milestone for the nation’s high-speed rail ambitions.