Mumbai | Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday initiated the breakthrough of a five-kilometre-long tunnel in Thane near Mumbai, marking a significant achievement in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Standing at one of the openings of the tunnel, Vaishnaw pushed the button and triggered a controlled dynamite blast to break through its final layer, completing five km of excavation.

Briefing mediapersons present at the site to cover the event, Vaishnaw called it a "landmark achievement" and reiterated that the 50-km-long first section between Surat and Billimora will be completed by December 2027.

Vaishnaw appreciated the progress of the project, saying this tunnel is a part of the total 21-km-long tunnel, out of which seven km passes through the sea.

The 508-km-long project will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Officials said that the excavation was done through the 'drill and blast' method, and henceforth, a tunnel-boring machine will be used.

This 5 km tunnel runs between Ghansoli and Shilphata in Maharashtra.