NHSRCL Completes Kolak River Bridge for MAHSR Bullet Train Project

Valsad : The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has completed the 160-meter-long Kolak River Bridge for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project in south Gujarat, connecting Vapi and Bilimora. 

The bridge over the Kolak River has a length of 160 metres and four full span girders, each measuring 40 metres. The Kolak River Bridge is approximately 7 kilometers away from the Vapi Bullet Train Station. 

The height of bridge pillars ranges from 14 to 23 metres. The bridge is located between the Vapi and Bilimora bullet train stations. Other rivers completed between the two locations are the Auranga and Par rivers. The river originates in the Saputara Hills near Valveri and runs into the Arabian Sea. The Kolka River is 7 kilometers from Vapi Bullet Train Station and 43 kilometers from Bilimora Bullet Train Station.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has been sanctioned for a cost of Rs 1,08,000 crore. Currently, the bullet train is moving at breakneck speed. About four months ago, Railways, Communications, and Electronic and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha that the project has completed 290.64 km of pier foundation, 267.48 km of pier construction, 150.97 km of girder casting, and 119 km of girder launching.

The MAHSR project runs through the high-growth states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, connecting the business hubs of Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency completed a feasibility study, which projected the project’s economic internal rate of return at 11.8%.

Approximately 28 seismometers will be erected between the two stations to ensure the safety of trains and passengers during earthquakes. Seismometers will be installed at Anand and Mehmedabad, both in the Charotar region. Significantly, the Bullet Train project will employ such modern technology for the first time. 22 of the 28 seismometers will be put along the alignment. Out of them, 14 will be in Gujarat. It comprises Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Mehmedabad, and Ahmedabad.