FCC

L&T Achieves Third Bullet Train Tunnel Breakthrough

2026-06-23

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has achieved the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-07 (MT-07) on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) C-3 package, marking its third tunnel breakthrough within five months. Located in the Sahyadri range near Ambesari village in Dahanu Taluka, Maharashtra, the 417-metre-long tunnel was excavated over 516 days using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) and 117 controlled blasts.

The 12.6-metre-wide tunnel, designed to accommodate both up and down tracks, was constructed under challenging geological conditions with continuous monitoring and support systems, including shotcrete, rock bolts and lattice girders. Advanced instrumentation such as 3D targets, seismographs and Surface Settlement Points were deployed to ensure safe execution.

The 135.45-km MAHSR C-3 package extends from Shilphata in Thane to Zaroli on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border. It includes three bullet train stations at Thane, Virar and Boisar, around 124 km of viaducts, seven mountain tunnels spanning 6 km, 2.3 km of steel bridges and 5 km of special earth structures. The breakthrough marks another milestone in the development of India’s first high-speed rail corridor.