Mumbai News: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached a significant milestone as the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) begins flash butt welding of rails in Gujarat. This marks a crucial step forward in the construction process, with Track Construction Bases (TCB) now operational near Surat and Anand. The welding process is producing 200-meter-long rail panels on the viaduct, representing major progress in Indias first high-speed rail system.According to an NHSRCL official, over 35,000 metric tons of rails have been delivered so far, and four sets of specialized machinery have been procured to expedite track construction. The J-Slab ballastless track system, modeled on Japans Shinkansen technology, will be installed—making it a pioneering project in India.The track installation processThe project employs advanced mechanized equipment designed to Japanese specifications. The machinery fleet includes flash butt welding machines (FBWM), track slab laying cars (TSLC), rail feeder cars (RFC), and cement asphalt mortar (CAM) injection cars.The National High-Speed Rail Corporation confirmed that three FBWMs have been acquired to weld 25-meter-long, 60 kg JIS rails into 200-meter panels. Indian engineers and technicians have completed rigorous training to ensure high-quality welding. Additionally, four TSLCs are being used to lift and precisely position precast track slabs onto the viaduct, while four RFCs transport and position the 200-meter rail panels on the reinforced concrete (RC) track bed. CAM cars are injecting a specialized mix of cement asphalt mortar under the track slabs to ensure precise alignment, a vital component for high-speed rail operation. Extensive training by Japanese experts through JARTS has been conducted for Indian engineers to master Shinkansen construction methodologies, an NHSRCL spokesperson noted.
