Published Date: 31-08-2023

The construction of the first Reinforced Concrete (RC) track bed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, based on the Japanese Shinkansen track system, has started in Surat. This marks the first time that the J-slab ballastless track system is being used in India.

The track system comprises a pre-cast track slab over which fastening devices and rails are fitted. This slab rests on the RC track bed, which has a thickness of approximately 300 mm and is constructed in-situ on the viaduct top for individual UP and Down track lines. The width of the RC track bed is 2420 mm.

RC anchors are provided to prevent any longitudinal and lateral movement of the track slab. Each RC anchor has a diameter of 520 mm and a height of 260 mm, and they are constructed at approximately 5-meter intervals. A reference pin is installed within each RC anchor to achieve precise horizontal and vertical alignment suitable for train operations at speeds of up to 320 kmph.

The contracts for track works across the entire Gujarat portion have been awarded, and material procurement is at an advanced stage. More than 14,000 metric tonnes of JIS rails and 50 moulds for casting track slabs have already been received from Japan.

Track slabs will be manufactured in dedicated factories, two of which have already been established. These facilities are equipped with advanced technologies and infrastructure to produce highly precise slabs for high-speed rail track construction.

Specialized construction machinery, including rail feeder cars, slab laying cars, and CAM (Cement Asphalt Mortar) laying cars, will be used for track works. To ensure proper execution of track laying activities, extensive training and certification programs are being conducted for Indian contractor personnel in collaboration with :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} as the Training & Certification agency.