65 trains impacted after gantry collapses on bullet train project site

While no casualties were reported, thousands of passengers travelling by train from Mumbai towards Ahmedabad faced cancellations or delays

Mumbai: At least 65 trains were impacted after a 500-tonne gantry used to launch viaducts on pillars collapsed at the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridor project site in Vatva near Ahmedabad late on Sunday evening, officials said.

Ahmedabad: Restoration work underway after a segmental launching gantry (crane), which lifts and places segments of the elevated viaduct for the ongoing construction of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, skidded and fell near Vatva-Ropda Road, in Ahmedabad, Monday, March 24, 2025. The incident took place late Sunday night. (PTI Photo) (PTI03_24_2025_000077A) (PTI)

While no casualties were reported, thousands of passengers travelling by train from Mumbai towards Ahmedabad faced cancellations or delays. By Monday evening, 38 long-distance trains had been cancelled, while another 27 were either partially cancelled, diverted or rescheduled, according to Western Railway (WR).

The accident occurred around 11 pm on Sunday, when a 75-80-metre-long gantry weighing nearly 500 tonnes was being retracted after launching a concrete girder. “It accidentally skidded from its position while retracting,” said an official from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).

The gantry fell at a 45-degree angle, with one end parked on the pillar and the other crashing onto the adjoining railway track below, making removing it from the site difficult. Officials were unable to figure out a way to remove the bulky gantry all through Monday, resulting in dozens of trains being impacted.

According to WR, rail lines on the Geratpur-Vatva section in Ahmedabad were affected since 10.10 pm on Sunday. “The Down line (northbound towards Ahmedabad) train movement has been impacted, and restoration work is in full swing,” said a WR official. “Single line movement to clear down trains using the Up line (southbound from Ahmedabad) started at 12:56 am [on Monday] that hasn’t been impacted.”

While the Mumbai-Delhi rail route was unaffected by the incident, trains from Mumbai towards Vadodara and Ahmedabad were impacted, leading to the cancellation of 28 trains on Monday and 10 more scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Several other trains were diverted to the Mumbai-Delhi route.

The cancelled trains included the Vatva-Borivali Express, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Express, Vadodara-Vatva Intercity, Ahmedabad-Valsad Gujarat Queen, Jamnagar-Vadodara Intercity, Vadnagar-Valsad-Vadnagar Express and Vatva-Anand MEMU.

The Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, and the Ekta Nagar-Ahmedabad Heritage Special were among those partially cancelled. The rescheduled trains included the Ahmedabad-MGR Chennai Central Humsafar Express and the Rajkot-Secunderabad Express, according to officials. Affected passengers were provided with tea, snacks and water bottles at various stations and a helpline was set up, according to a statement by WR.

The accident occurred in Vatva in the Ahmedabad district, where two bullet train stations, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati, are being constructed along a 26-km high-speed rail line. Officials said around 15-16 viaducts have to be launched on this stretch, as the route has several crossings and curvatures.

A gantry is used to pick the 30-45-metre-long girders, weighing up to 600 tonnes, and launch them on two pillars. In this case, the gantry had launched one girder and was retracting to launch another when it skidded. Officials are still investigating whether it happened due to a manual error or technical failure.

At the time of going to press, the restoration work was still going on. “We deployed heavy machinery, including cranes, to the site for restoration work that is being monitored by senior officials,” said another NHSRCL official. “No casualties have been reported. There has been no damage to the structure erected. Two 500-tonne-capacity cranes are already deployed for the restoration work and another 750-tonne crane is mobilised to expedite the restoration work.”