Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Gets Boost With New Track Slab Factory In Surat

A track slab manufacturing plant for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has been set up in Kim Village, Surat, marking it as the largest such facility in the country, according to the Lokmat report. The factory covers 19 acres and boasts a production capacity of 120 track slabs per day. It is designed to manufacture high-capacity ballastless track slabs using advanced Shinkansen technology.

Being located near the bullet train project site, the factory will play a crucial role in ensuring timely transportation and supply of materials. Concrete track slabs are essential for the stability of railway tracks, and this plant's proximity to the site will be vital for the smooth progress of the project.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav recently visited the plant to inspect its operations. Track construction for the bullet train project is progressing, with a contractor appointed for the 352-kilometre section in Gujarat. Of this, 237 kilometres falls in Gujarat and Dadra-Nagar Haveli, where the concrete track slabs will be supplied by the Surat factory.

Each slab produced at the facility is approximately 2200 millimetres wide, 4900 millimetres long, and 190 millimetres thick, weighing around 3.9 tonnes. The factory's total production capacity is set to manufacture 96,000 J-Slabs for the project.

Looking ahead, officials have confirmed plans to establish a similar track slab factory for the Maharashtra portion of the project, with the tender expected to be issued in February 2025.

All engineers involved in the project have undergone training under Japanese experts in techniques used for high-speed rail construction. This factory, along with the skilled workforce, will support the successful completion of the bullet train project and benefit future rail infrastructure projects.