India’s bullet train journey will begin deep beneath the heart of Mumbai.
At the Bandra Kurla Complex, engineers are constructing India’s first and only underground bullet train station as part of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor.
The massive station will be built 32 metres below ground level, equivalent to the depth of a 10-storey building. The underground design is a response to the severe space constraints in one of Mumbai’s busiest commercial hubs.
To create the massive subterranean complex, around 18 lakh cubic metres of earth and rock are being excavated. The completed station will span six underground floors, with dedicated levels for technical and maintenance services, passenger facilities and the high-speed rail tracks.
The terminal will feature six platforms, each 467 metres long, designed to handle large volumes of passengers and high-speed trains.
Building such a large facility beneath a dense urban area also requires extensive support infrastructure. Advanced ventilation and climate-control systems will help maintain safe conditions underground, while multi-stage drainage systems and flood protection barriers will protect the station from Mumbai’s heavy monsoon rains.
Once operational, the station will provide connections to Mumbai’s metro network, city buses and major road routes.
At 32 metres below one of India’s busiest business districts, the station is set to become a landmark of underground engineering — and the starting point for India’s high-speed rail future.
