Bullet Train Project Installs Five Portal Beams Over Ahmedabad

The operation involved the installation of beams weighing between 1170 metric tonnes (t) and 1360 t, the heaviest being lifted on April eight and counted among the heaviest lifts carried out on operational railway tracks in the country. Work was carried out over the Ahmedabad-Vadodara 'Up', 'Down' and third lines and required meticulous planning and coordination with rail traffic control.

The alignment at Maninagar passes above existing railway tracks at a raised level with limited space and spans of approximately 30 to 34 metres between piers, necessitating the use of heavy portal beam structures. These portal beams are designed to provide a strong and rigid support to transfer loads across multiple tracks, ensuring minimal deflection and preserving precise track alignment for safe railway operations.

The launching was carried out using a 2200 t crawler crane, its first deployment on Indian railway tracks, and each beam was installed in approximately three point five hours, significantly reducing the time compared with earlier operations that required up to nine-hour blocks. Despite constraints such as restricted working space, overhead electrification and ongoing train movement, the installation was completed with continuous monitoring and safety checks and adherence to safety protocols.

Each portal beam is a precast concrete structure measuring 34 metres long with a cross section of five point five metres by four point five metres and is installed as an integrated unit to support elevated infrastructure over railway lines. The use of precast prestressed elements allowed controlled factory conditions to ensure quality and consistency while reducing time at site and exposure to operational risks. Project authorities said the successful sequence of lifts will inform similar operations on future sections of the corridor.