A major milestone has been achieved at the underground BKC bullet train station in Mumbai with the casting of the first concrete base slab, the project implementing agency said on Wednesday.

The slab was cast 32 meters deep from the ground level, equivalent to a 10-storey building. The concrete slab is 3.5 meters high, 30 meters long, and 20 metres thick.

This is the first of the 69 slabs to be cast for the upcoming Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station, the only underground station on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) stated.

The underground station will have three floors, including platforms, a concourse, and a service floor. The train platform is planned at a depth of about 24 metres from the ground level, but the excavation for the station is being done to a depth of 32 metres from the ground level, the release stated.

The BKC station will have six platforms each measuring 415 metres, sufficient to accommodate a 16-coach bullet train. Two entry/exit points will facilitate access to the nearby metro line 2B station and the MTNL building.

For the construction of other stations, excavation of about 18.7 lakh cubic meters of earth is required, with 52 per cent of excavation already completed, the NHRCL said.

"Sophisticated instrumentation is being used to ensure safety at the site. Completing the first base slab is a major milestone," said Vivek Kumar Gupta, managing director of NHSRCL.

The total cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor project is pegged at Rs 1.08 lakh crore.

As per the share-holding pattern, the Government of India's share is Rs 10,000 crore, and that of Gujarat and Maharashtra is Rs 5,000 crore each.

The balance is to be paid by Japan through a loan at 0.1 per cent interest.

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