Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: Afcons Begins Piling Work for Shaft-2

Afcons Infrastructure has started piling work to build Shaft-2 at Mumbai’s Vikhroli neighborhood for 20.377 km underground Package C-2 of the 508.17 km Mumbai – Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR Bullet Train).

This 56 meter deep shaft at the project’s chainage Km 6.95 is one of 4 shafts to be constructed by Afcons for the line’s underground section connecting chainage Km 0.773 (Bandra Kurla Complex Station) and Km 21.150 (Shilphata Ramp).

Afcons will use Shaft-2 to launch 2 Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines (TBMs) – one towards Shaft-1 (BKC Station’s east-end) and another towards Shaft-3 in Sawli, Navi Mumbai.

The shaft is located on a 3.95 hectare parcel at CTS 1A and 51A in Vikhroli. Back on June 30, 2023 – the Maharashtra State Tree Authority granted permission to cut 1687 trees and transplant 141 trees. A total of 5317 number of trees are proposed to be planted as compensatory plantation by the Forest Department in Mankhurd, Kurla and Goregaon.

Two hectares of land will be used for the construction of a traction substation and distribution substation, while the rest will be used to construct an approach road, segment stacking yard, batching plant, shaft, muck pit, and Afcons’ site office.

Topographic plan of Shaft-2 showing its basic design – via NHRSCL’s tender documents

National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) had awarded Afcons Infrastructure with Package C-2’s Rs. 6397.27 crore contract in June 2023 with a 1888 day (5.17 years) deadline.

Afcons will construct 3 shafts at BKC Station, Vikhroli, and Sawli at approximate depths of 36m, 56m and 39m respectively to launch and retrieve 3 Mega Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) with a diameter of roughly 13.1 meters to bore approximately 16 kms of tunnel.

An inclined shaft of 42m at Ghansoli and tunnel portal at Shilphata will facilitate NATM tunneling works.

Alignment of Package C2 in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) connecting BKC and Shilphata – view Mumbai – Ahmedabad HSR info & route map
Location of Shaft 2 – Infographic by NHSRCL
Shaft-2 taking shape – Photo by Shreeom Shivhare

The shaft’s figure-8 or infinity loop design, as my significant other likes to call it, sort of reminds me of Mumbai Metro Line-3 Package UGC-07’s Pali Ground Shaft built in 2017-18. After construction on shafts 2 & 3 ends, Afcons will build tunnel ventilation buildings on top of them.

For more updates, check out the High Speed Rail section or my Home Page! Sign up for free instant email notifications on new posts over here. Like this post? Get early-access to updates and support the site over here.

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

6 Responses to "Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: Afcons Begins Piling Work for Shaft-2"

  1. Kartik says:

    Happy Diwali TMRG

    Reply
  2. Mohd Ashraf wani says:

    I have been worked in shaft at uri Hydro electric power project with Seweden. Company.i have goted good experience in shaft work

    Reply
  3. James says:

    I really hope that once this line is partially open, funding is unlocked for 3 or 4 more high speed rail lines at the same time (Like Ahmedabad-Delhi and Delhi-Varanasi to form a linked route, and something in southern India to avoid accusations of favouritism). I imagine JICA is waiting for partial operation as proof that India can build and manage the line so that more funding is unlocked. In terms of Gujarat, the progress has actually been really good over the past year and I’m pretty confident that partial operation will begin between a couple of stations there

    Reply
  4. Akhter Hussain says:

    I’m Akhter Hussain form Ramban Jammu and Kashmir

    Experience

    2 company

    9 yer

    H m v driver

    Reply

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