As part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the construction of its ballastless track has started in Surat, said the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited in a release on Thursday.

NHSRCL called the J-slab ballastless track system, used in Japan’s high-speed rail system Shinkansen, a first in India.

While the traditional or ballasted track comprises rail fixed to sleepers supported by crushed stones, the bed is composed of reinforced concrete (RC) in the case of the ballastless track.

As per the release, the construction of the RC bed for the track system has begun from Surat and it comprises a pre-cast track slab over which fastening devices and rails are fitted.

Once functional, the country’s first bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will run at a maximum speed of 350 km per hour, covering the 508-km stretch in under three hours.

The track slab rests on the RC track bed, which has a thickness of approximately 300 mm and is 2420 mm wide. It is constructed in-situ (at site) for individual UP and Down track lines, said the release.

“RC anchors are provided to avoid any longitudinal and lateral restraint to the track slab,” said the release.

As per the release, in RC anchors, a reference pin is installed for achieving the desired alignment (both horizontal and vertical) suitable for train operation at 320 kmph.

The contracts for the track works in the complete Gujarat portion have been awarded and presently, material procurement is in an advanced stage, the release said.

“More than 14000 MT of JIS rails, 50 moulds for casting track slabs have already been received from Japan,” it said.

The track slabs will be manufactured in dedicated factories and two such units have already been set up, said NHSRCL.

The total cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is pegged at Rs 1.08 lakh crore. As per the shareholding pattern, the Centre is to pay Rs 10,000 crore to NHSRCL, while Gujarat and Maharashtra are required to pay Rs 5,000 crore each. The rest is to be financed by Japan through a loan at 0.1 per cent interest.

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