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.
“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.
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The Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor spans 508 kilometres, connecting 12 stations — Mumbai (Bandra Kurla Complex), Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati.
The foundation stone for the ₹1.1-lakh crore project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2017 at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad.
According to the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) updates, the project has achieved significant progress. About 323 kilometres of viaduct and 399 kilometres of pier work have been completed, along with 17 river bridges, five PSC bridges, and nine steel bridges. Around 211 kilometres of track bed are ready, and over four lakh noise barriers have been installed along the route.
Excavation of seven mountain tunnels in Palghar is underway, while five kilometres of the 21-km NATM tunnel between Bandra Kurla Complex and Shilphata have achieved breakthrough.
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.
