Ahmedabad: The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), in coordination with Western Railway, have launched one of the heaviest precast prestressed portal beams on the Ahmedabad–Vadodara railway line near Maninagar for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project.Weighing around 1,360 metric tonnes, the beam is among the heaviest ever installed over active Indian Railways infrastructure. The precast concrete structure measures 34m in length, and a total of five such beams are planned in the vicinity of Maninagar railway station.The complex launching operation was completed in approximately 3.5 hours during a full traffic and power block, carefully coordinated with Indian Railways. Officials noted that similar work in the past required caution orders for up to six months and traffic blocks of nearly nine hours, but improved planning and execution significantly reduced the time.The operation was carried out in a highly constrained environment, involving overhead electrical equipment, live railway tracks, and installation at a height of around 15m.The 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will connect Ahmedabad and Mumbai, with 12 stations planned along the route. The project is expected to begin phased operations in 2027, with full completion targeted by 2028.
