NewzVille Desk
India’s dream project Bullet Train is inching closer, as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project has achieved a major milestone today. As of January 2, 2026, the first breakthrough of a mountain tunnel in Maharashtra has been successfully completed. Located in the Palghar district, the MT-5 tunnel represents a critical link in the 508-km bullet train corridor.
Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the information on ‘X’. He wrote: “Bharat Ka Garv: Bullet Train Project, achieves a major milestone with the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5.”
🇮🇳 Bharat Ka Garv: Bullet Train Project, achieves a major milestone with the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5.
📍Saphale, Palghar pic.twitter.com/4wtQUUIAvX— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 2, 2026
The achievement follows the completion of the first 5km underground tunnel section between Thane and BKC just a few months ago, keeping the project on track for its 2027 operational target.
The MAHSR project involves a total of 27.4 km of tunnelling across the 508 km corridor.
The MT-5 Milestone
The length between Virar and Boisar bullet train stations of Palghar District (approximately 1.5 k), is the longest in the district.
This portion is completed in 18 months through simultaneous excavation from both ends, and specifically a cutting-edge “Drill & Blast” technique was used for it.
Real-time Monitoring of the execution helped the engineers to observe ground behavior during excavation.
Shotcrete, rock bolts, and lattice girders systems were used to adjust, based on actual site conditions.
Adapting ‘Safety First’, advanced ventilation, fire prevention, and dedicated access/egress routes were strictly maintained during the excavation.
