Robots to AI: Tech boost for bullet train project

New tools and processes speed up surveys, improve the use of labour and equipment, and strengthen safety, reports SHINE JACOB

- SHINE JACOB

Work to build the 508-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR), or the bullet train as it is popularly called, is progressing well and 48.55 per cent of the project was completed in January.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the primary contractor responsible for 92 per cent of the construction, is using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), new survey techniques, and robots for efficiency, accuracy and safety.

Of the 466 km of the project being executed by L&T (331 km in Gujarat and 135 km in Maharashtra), 318 km (68 per cent) in Gujarat will be handed over to other contractors by December 2025.

Advanced technologies have helped the project in several ways: Reducing survey time from 60 days to 15, analysing the impact of labour and equipment, optimising asset management, ensuring precision, and improving safety.

"The integration of AI, ML and robotics in the MAHSR project plays a crucial role in enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and safety throughout the construction and survey processes," said S V Desai, whole-time director and senior executive vice-president, civil infrastructure, at L&T.

Quality automated

"These technologies collectively improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance overall project outcomes by automating repetitive tasks, providing real-time insights and maintaining high-quality standards," he said.