Wed Dec 04 16:45:15 UTC 2024: ## Mumbai Bullet Train Station Reaches Major Milestone: First Base Slab Laid
**Mumbai, December 4, 2024** – A significant milestone has been reached in the construction of the Mumbai Bullet Train station, with the laying of the first base slab at a depth of 32 meters. This marks a crucial step forward for the much-delayed project, which has faced numerous setbacks.
The 30m x 20m slab, the first of 69, was laid on November 30th and represents a substantial amount of excavation – 18.7 lakh cubic meters of earth, with 52% of the total excavation already complete, according to NHSRCL MD Vivek Kumar Gupta. He called the achievement a “major milestone.” The construction involved the use of 681 tonnes of high-strength steel, 6,200 rebar couplers, and 2,254 cubic meters of high-grade concrete. Innovative temperature control measures, including ice and chiller plants, were implemented to maintain a working temperature below 25 degrees Celsius during concrete pouring.
The station, located in the heart of the Bandra Kurla Complex, will ultimately feature six platforms, each 415 meters long to accommodate 16-coach bullet trains. It will be located approximately 24 meters underground and connected to Metro Line 2B and road networks. This will be the only underground station along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor.
The project, approved in December 2015, was initially slated for completion by 2023 but has faced significant delays. While the Surat to Bilimora stretch is now expected to be operational by 2026, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attributed these delays to the previous Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. She stated that the project would be operational by now had it not been for the delays.
First Piper 