Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR corridor: 28 seismometers to be installed for early earthquake warning

National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) on Monday said twenty-eight seismometers will be installed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad 'bullet train' corridor. In a release issued during the day, the NHSRCL said 'Early Earthquake Detection System' based on the Japanese Shinkansen technology will be installed to ensure the safety of passengers and critical infrastructure.

"Out of the 28 seismometers, 22 will be installed along the alignment. Of these eight will be in Mumbai, Thane, Virar and Boisar in Maharashtra, while 14 will be in Gujarat's Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Mahembadad and Ahmedabad," he said.

The remaining six of the 28 seismometers, termed as inland seismometers, will be installed in earthquake-prone areas like Khed, Ratnagiri, Latur and Pangri in Maharashtra, as well as Adesar and Old Bhuj in Gujarat, the release informed.


Seismometers will be installed in traction sub-stations and switching posts along the alignment and these will detect earthquake-induced tremors through primary waves and enable an automatic power shutdown, the release said.

Emergency brakes will be activated when the power shutdown is detected and the trains running in the affected area shall stop, the NHSRCL the release further said.

According to the release, areas along the high speed corridor, where earthquakes of magnitude greater than 5.5 have taken place in the past 100 years, were surveyed by Japanese experts.

After a detailed survey and soil suitability study through a micro tremor test, the above sites were selected, the release said.