Seventh Steel Bridge launched for Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project

Vadodara, India (Metro Rail Today): In a major milestone for India’s first high-speed rail corridor, M G Contractors Pvt. Ltd. (MGCPL) has successfully launched its seventh open web girder (OWG) steel bridge for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. This new bridge, GAD-62, was launched earlier this month across the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) near Khalilpur village, just south of Vadodara in Gujarat.

The 70-meter-long steel structure, weighing 674 metric tonnes (MT) and rising 13 meters high, was precisely pushed into position over the WDFC tracks in a 13-hour-long operation. The launch site falls along the bullet train’s alignment at chainage KM 385+000.

The OWG bridge was fabricated by Vrinda Engineers in Durgapur, West Bengal, using 28,800 high-tension TTHS bolts, C5 corrosion-resistant paint, and elastomeric bearings. Designed for a lifespan of 100 years, this bridge forms a vital part of the high-speed rail infrastructure.

MGCPL was awarded the ₹549.67 crore contract for Package P-1(B) by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) in September 2021. The package includes the launch of four prestressed concrete (PSC) bridges and seven steel truss bridges within the 237.1 km civil section (C-4) between Vadodara and Zaroli, currently under construction by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

With GAD-62’s completion, four of seven OWG bridges under Package P-1(B) are now in place. NHSRCL plans to use a total of 70,865 MT of steel to build 28 major bridges across the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.

Here’s a summary of the seven OWG bridges launched so far under Packages P-1(B) and P-1(C):

1. GAD-1134 (70m, 673 MT) – Over NH-53 near Surat – October 2023

2. GAD-31 (99.6m, 1,486 MT) – Over Vadodara–Ahmedabad Railway near Nadiad – April 2024

3. GAD-1967 (130m, 3,098 MT) – Over Delhi–Mumbai Expressway near Vadodara – June 2024

4. GAD-68 (100m, 1,464 MT) – Over Bhilosa Substation near Silvassa – August 2024

5. GAD-28 (60m, 645 MT) – Over Bajva–Chhayapuri Railway near Vadodara – October 2024

6. GAD-12 (100m, 2,000 MT) – Over WDFC and Surat–Baroda Line near Surat – January 2025

7. GAD-62 (70m, 674 MT) – Over WDFC near Vadodara – April 2025

The 508.17 km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, popularly known as the Bullet Train, is being developed with Japanese Shinkansen technology and will drastically cut travel time between the two major cities. With continuous progress on bridge launches and civil packages, the project edges closer to its phased operational rollout