NHSRCL-L&T inks ₹24,000-cr largest-ever bullet train contract

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has signed the country's largest-ever government-financed civil contract worth ₹24,000 crore for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project with the infrastructure building major Larsen and Toubro (L&T). The company has already deployed construction workers on job sites to start the groundwork. In totality, the NHSRCL has awarded work for a 325-km long stretch to Larsen and Toubro to go ahead with the work in Gujarat portion and complete it instead of waiting for Maharashtra to get the required land for the flagship project. Japanese ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki said that the contract for such a mammoth infrastructure project has been awarded at a time when it was required to accelerate economic activities and that the project will not only help in the transfer of Japanese technologies to India but will also transform urban development along its corridor. The scope of work in the project includes the construction of viaducts, stations, major river bridges, maintenance depots, and other auxiliary works. The 508 km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project will cover Maharashtra, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Gujarat, with 12 stations along the route. Upon completion, the high-speed rail will operate at a speed of 320 kmph, covering the entire distance in about 2 hours with limited stops and in 3 hours with all stops. Railway Board CEO and chairman, V K Yadav, informed that after the completion of this first bullet train project, the government will take up more such train corridors on seven more routes.