First bullet train in India to be operational by August 2027: Ashwini Vaishnaw

On October 3, Vaishnaw and Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Hiromasa Nakano visited the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project sites in Surat and Mumbai

Union minister for railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced that the first bullet train in India will run by August 2027.

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor spans 508 kilometres, connecting 12 stations. (HT file photo)

“You are all aware how work on the bullet train is progressing speedily. It is going very smoothly in Gujarat — wire ducts have been completed, girders installed, and work on the tracks and electric wiring is in progress. Recently, Japanese Minister Nakano visited Gujarat and reviewed the progress of the project. We have set a target to run the first bullet train by August 2027,” said Vaishnaw while speaking at the first-ever Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference held at Ganpat University in Mehsana.

On October 3, Vaishnaw and Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Hiromasa Nakano visited the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project sites in Surat and Mumbai.

Rolling stock depots at Surat and Ahmedabad are under construction, and superstructure work at all Gujarat stations is at an advanced stage. Work has also begun on the three elevated stations in Maharashtra.

Vaishnaw in his address said Gujarat’s progress and its track record in infrastructure made it the most suitable state to host the country’s first bullet train. He said that in the past 11 years, Gujarat has built 2,764 kilometres of new railway lines, surpassing the total railway network of Denmark.

The state received investments worth ₹1.46 lakh crore in the railway sector during this period. The minister said Gujarat’s contribution extends beyond railways into sectors such as semiconductors and electronics.

He said ₹1.25 lakh crore has been invested in the semiconductor sector with four major plants coming up and 30 Japanese companies preparing to manufacture key components in Gujarat. The country’s electronics manufacturing industry, he said, has grown to ₹12 lakh crore in the last 11 years.