India to Construct First Twin-Track Undersea Rail Tunnel in Maharashtra
India is embarking on a groundbreaking project to construct its first twin-track undersea rail tunnel in Maharashtra. The tunnel will stretch for 7 kilometers beneath Thane Creek as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has partnered with Afcons Infrastructure Limited to commence construction. This undersea tunnel will be a significant achievement for India’s transportation system and is part of a larger 21-kilometer tunnel on the Bullet train corridor. The construction of the tunnel presents a challenge that the NHSRCL aims to overcome through the use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM). For about 16 kilometers of the tunnel, three TBMs will be employed, with one of them being among the largest in India. These machines will have a cutter head diameter of 13.1 meters, significantly larger than those typically used in urban tunnels. Additionally, strat...