ENA State 2026-01-02 16:38:06 <p><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>Mumbai, Jan 2 (KNN)</strong> The Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the breakthrough of the second mountain tunnel in Palghar, Maharashtra, on the Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The 1.5-km-long MT-5 tunnel, situated between Virar and Boisar stations, is the first mountain tunnel in Maharashtra for the project and among the longest in Palghar district. It was excavated from both ends over 18 months using a state-of-the-art drill-and-blast technique.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">MAHSR Corridor Overview</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The MAHSR corridor spans 508 km, including 27.4 km of tunnels&mdash;21 km underground and 6.4 km surface tunnels&mdash;comprising eight mountain tunnels. Maharashtra hosts seven of these tunnels, with a combined length of around 6.05 km, while Gujarat features one 350-metre mountain tunnel.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Of the total corridor, 352 km lie in Gujarat and Dadra &amp; Nagar Haveli, and 156 km in Maharashtra. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The route connects key cities such as Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane, and Mumbai, marking a transformative step in Indias high-speed rail infrastructure.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">Economic and Environmental Significance</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Vaishnaw highlighted that the project is generating significant employment and will continue to create opportunities during its operation phase. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Once operational, travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will reduce to just 1 hour and 58 minutes, connecting major commercial hubs and supporting economic integration.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The minister noted the project will bring long-term economic benefits, enhance middle-class accessibility to comfortable travel, and significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions&mdash;by nearly 95 per cent compared to road transport.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size:14px">(KNN Bureau)</span></strong></em></p> 44641 https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/state/15-km-mt-5-tunnel-on-mumbaiahmedabad-high-speed-rail-completed-says-vaishnaw 2026-01-02 16:38:06 knnindia.co.in