The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project achieved a significant engineering milestone by successfully launching one of its heaviest precast-prestressed portal beams on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara railway line in the Maninagar area. This portal beam, a precast concrete structure weighing nearly 1,360 metric tonnes, is 34 meters long with a cross-section of 5.5 meters by 4.5 meters.
Officials revealed that a total of five similar beams are set for installation near the Maninagar railway station. Each beam is produced on-site in precast form and then installed as a unified heavy unit. The entire launching process was completed in approximately 3.5 hours under strict safety standards, during a complete traffic and power block coordinated with the Indian Railways.
The lifting operation utilized a 2,200-metric tonne capacity crawler crane, supported by a 260-tonne standby crane, an 80-tonne crane, man lifters, and a lifter beam system with anchoring frames. Engineering challenges included managing an ultra-heavy lift of nearly 1,360 metric tonnes, one of the heaviest lifts on Indian railway infrastructure, and ensuring precise installation within a limited timeframe at a height of about 15 meters.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, known as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Corridor, is a 508-kilometer high-speed line connecting Mumbai in Maharashtra to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Implemented by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) with assistance from Japan, the project is designed for trains operating at speeds of up to 320 km/h and plans to have twelve stations along the route.
