India's first high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is progressing with the adoption of an advanced ballastless track system inspired by Japan's Shinkansen technology.
The project is deploying the J-Slab track system, being used in India for the first time, replacing traditional ballast tracks with a rigid concrete structure.
This system comprises four key elements: a reinforced concrete track bed, cement asphalt mortar, pre-cast track slabs, and rails fitted with specialised fasteners.
The design is aimed at ensuring greater stability, precision and durability for trains operating at speeds of up to 320 kmph.
To support construction, dedicated track slab manufacturing facilities have been set up in Gujarat at Kim near Surat and in Anand.
These plants produce high-precision concrete slabs, which are then transported to track construction bases (TCBs) along the corridor for installation.
At present, ten such bases are operational across key stretches between Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Vadodara and Ahmedabad.
Progress on the ground has been steady. Around 185 route km of reinforced concrete track bed have been laid, while track slab production has reached 188 km.
Installation work, including slab laying and cement mortar injection, has been completed over 70 km.
The track-laying process is fully mechanised, using specialised equipment designed on Japanese lines.
This includes flash butt welding machines for joining rails into long panels, slab-laying systems for precise placement, rail feeder units for alignment, and mortar injection systems to secure the slabs and maintain track geometry.
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