Steel bridge launched for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

Vadodara: The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) announced on Wednesday that a 70m long steel bridge was successfully launched on Tuesday over the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) tracks near Vadodara, as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
This marks the seventh steel bridge completed in Gujarat out of the total 28 planned for the entire high-speed rail corridor.
"The launch was completed within 12 hours, with intermittent traffic blocks on the DFCCIL tracks," an NHSRCL official said. "These blocks were necessary to ensure safety and precision during the phased launching process, which was designed to minimize disruption to freight services."
The official further stated that the steel bridge, weighing 674 MT and measuring 13m in height and 14m in width, was fabricated at a workshop in Durgapur, Kolkata. It was transported to the site using trailers and launched using a 49m long launching nose, weighing approximately 204 MT.
The bridge assembly involved the use of around 28,800 tor-shear type high-strength bolts (TTHS), C5 system protective painting and elastomeric bearings—all engineered for a 100-year lifespan.
"The bridge was assembled on-site at a height of 18m above ground on temporary trestles and launched using an automatic mechanism comprising two semi-automatic jacks, each with a capacity of 250 tonnes, and mac-alloy bars," the official added. So far, the construction of the seven steel bridges has required over 10,000 MT of steel.