Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: Construction of maintenance hub at Bhiwandi to start soon

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train The project is gaining momentum as the National High Speed ​​Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has recently handed over the construction work to the Dineshchandra-DMRC joint venture.

The scope of work for the depot as outlined by NHSRCL includes civil construction, inspection shed, maintenance depot installation, testing and commissioning of state-of-the-art maintenance facilities.

NHSRCL spokesperson Sushma Gaur highlighted the project’s aim to set a new standard for maintenance in India, taking inspiration from Japanese Shinkansen train depots. “These facilities will include state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facilities,” Gaur said, according to TOI report.

The depot, spread over approximately 55 hectares, will include provisions for high-speed trainset maintenance and light maintenance. Initially, four inspection lines and ten stabling lines will be built, with plans to expand to eight and 31 respectively in the future.

The depot’s machinery, which includes a bogie exchange machine, underfloor wheel re-profiling machine, testers and data readers, ultrasonic flaw detectors and a trainset washing plant, will be sourced from Japan. Additional depots at Sabarmati in Gujarat and Surat are currently under construction.

Notably, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project is integrating water resource management systems in its depots. For example, Sabarmati depot aims to meet its water requirements through rooftop rainwater harvesting and borewells.

Furthermore, the sewage and effluents generated within the depot will be treated and recycled in modern sewage treatment and effluent treatment plants.

This recycled water is expected to meet 70 percent of the depot’s water needs. Similar water management systems including rooftop rainwater and stormwater storage, sewage treatment and effluent treatment plants will be implemented in Bhiwandi.