Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train Project Gains Pace, First

India’s first high-speed rail project is progressing rapidly, with commercial services between Surat and Vapi targeted for 2027, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a review of the project.

Civil construction on the first Surat-Bilimora section is expected to be completed by December this year. Before passenger services begin, high-speed trains will undergo extensive, phased trials and testing on the section.

Key train components, including the car body, bogies, propulsion system, wheels and pantographs, are being manufactured to prescribed standards. The train body is also undergoing a specialised ‘squeeze test’ to assess its strength and ensure passenger safety.

Work has also accelerated on the 21-km undersea tunnel between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Thane. The designated shafts have been completed, while tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been installed to advance excavation.

Construction of viaducts, major river bridges and stations is also nearing completion across Gujarat and Maharashtra.