How Will the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Stop Safely at 320 km/h During an Earthquake?

To protect the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train from earthquakes, 28 sensors will be installed. These sensors will detect initial seismic waves, cut off the power supply, and engage emergency brakes to ensure safety.

Trains on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor are being designed to operate at speeds of 320 km/h. This raises a major question in people’s minds: what would happen if an earthquake occurred while traveling on the train?

To ensure passenger safety, plans are underway to install a specialized system within this high-speed rail network capable of detecting the initial tremors of an earthquake.

22 Sensors to be Installed

There is a plan to install a total of 28 seismometers—sensors that detect earthquakes—along the high-speed rail route from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. Reports indicate that 22 of these sensors will be installed at traction substations and switching posts located near the railway line.

Additionally, the remaining six sensors will be placed in surrounding areas to detect any seismic activity approaching from those directions.

Detection of Initial Earthquake Waves

The concept for these earthquake-detecting sensors is inspired by Japan’s Shinkansen trains. The sensors are capable of detecting ‘P-waves’ (primary waves), which travel rapidly. P-waves typically arrive before the more intense and destructive tremors that follow. As soon as the system detects an impending earthquake, it will automatically cut off the power supply to the affected section.

Brakes Engage Upon Power Cut

It is reported that if an earthquake is anticipated, the power supply to the affected section of the track will be cut off; the train will detect this change in power supply and automatically engage its emergency brakes. Its function will be to halt the train before the intense tremors of an earthquake strike. However, the system cannot offer the railway complete protection against such events.

Sensors to be installed in Maharashtra and Gujarat

Plans are in place to install a total of eight sensors across Maharashtra—specifically in Mumbai, Thane, Virar, and Boisar. Meanwhile, a proposal has been made to install 14 sensors in Gujarat, covering Vani, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, and Ahmedabad.

Additionally, six sensors will be installed at Khed, Ratnagiri, Latur, and Pangri in Maharashtra, as well as at Adesar and Old Bhuj in Gujarat. These locations were selected based on historical earthquake records and assessments of soil stability.

508-km-long corridor

This high-speed corridor spans approximately 508 km and includes 12 proposed stations.