Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Announces Breakthrough of 2nd Mountain Tunnel of MAHSR Project On February 3, 2026, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Railways (MoR), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), announced the completion of tunneling work of the 2nd Mountain Tunnel (MT-6) for the Mumbai (Maharashtra) -Ahmedabad (Gujarat) High Speed-Rail (MAHSR) project in Palghar, Maharashtra.
About MT-6 Excavation Completion:
Overview: MT-6 is 454 metre (m) long and 14.4 m wide, built to carry both up and down tracks for the high-speed rail line. MT-6 was excavated from both ends met in the middle, forming a continuous tunnel.
Significance: This marks the second tunnel breakthrough, following the MT-5 near Saphale, Maharashtra.
Construction Method: MT-6 was excavated using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), a drill-and-controlled blast approach suited for complex geology.
Timeline: The Gujarat section of the MAHSR corridor is expected to commence commercial operations in 2027, with the train reaching Thane by 2028 and achieving full connectivity to Mumbai by 2029.
About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister (CM) – Devendra Fadnavis
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
Capital – Mumbai
Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) – Malvan WLS, Aner Dam WLS