High speed rail project: India's Shinkansen track takes shape in Surat factory, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project is progressing with track slab manufacturing in Gujarat.
• A factory near Surat is producing track slabs for the 508-km corridor, aiming for completion of the Surat-Bilimora stretch by August 2027.
• The project requires 2.05 lakh track slabs, with 75,473 already cast and 35,327 laid.
• The entire Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor is expected to be operational by 2029.

Detailed Insights:

• The track slab system, a key feature of the Japanese Shinkansen, is being used for the first time in India, differing from the traditional ballasted track system.
• The Kim facility, the larger of the two manufacturing units, supplies track slabs for the Vapi to Vadodara section and can cast up to 120 slabs per day.
• The manufacturing process involves precise cutting of steel bars, creating steel cages, concrete mixing, steam heating, and rigorous testing to ensure quality and prevent signal leakage.
• The process includes over 30 tests to verify each track slab, including strength tests (minimum 50 mpa) and electrical resistance tests.
• Japanese engineers provided training for the manufacturing process, and specialized machinery from Japan, Italy, and India are used.
• After manufacturing, the track slabs are transported to construction bases and laid on the viaduct using specialized machines like Flash Butt Welding Machine, Rail Feeder Car, Track slab laying Car and Cement Asphalt Mortar injection car.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Shinkansen: The Japanese term for high-speed railway, literally meaning "new trunk line".
• Viaduct: A long, bridge-like structure, typically a series of arches, carrying a road or railroad across a valley or other low-lying area.
• Ballasted Track System: A conventional railway track structure where rails are laid on sleepers which are embedded in ballast.