Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train uses Japan-Style J-Slab Track System for First Time in India

The Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project will deploy a J-slab ballastless track system based on the Japanese Shinkansen model, marking its first use in India. The system comprises RC track bed, cement asphalt mortar (CAM), precast track slabs and rails with fasteners, designed to support high-speed operations up to 320 kmph.

To support track construction, dedicated Track Slab Manufacturing Facilities have been set up at Kim near Surat and Anand in Gujarat to produce high-precision concrete slabs. These slabs are transported to Track Construction Bases (TCBs), which serve as operational hubs for handling materials, machinery and installation works along the viaduct.

Currently, ten TCBs are operational across key sections between Surat–Bilimora–Vapi and Vadodara–Anand–Ahmedabad. Progress on track works includes 185 km of RC track bed laid, 188 km of track slabs manufactured, and 70 km of slabs laid with CAM injection completed.

The track installation process is fully mechanised using specialised equipment aligned with Japanese construction practices, including flash butt welding machines for rail welding, track slab laying cars for slab placement, rail feeder cars for laying rail panels and CAM injection systems to ensure precision alignment and stability of the track structure.