India’s first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is making steady progress, with major construction work advancing across the 508-km high-speed rail corridor.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is implementing the project, has reported significant progress in viaducts, tracks, electrification, bridges and tunnels in its latest July update.
Pier construction has now been completed across 453 km of the corridor, while viaduct work has covered 359 km. Reinforced concrete track beds have been completed over 215 km, with track slabs laid across 91 km along with Cement Asphalt Mortar injection.
Electrification work is also moving ahead, with more than 9,000 overhead equipment masts installed across 200 km. These will support the overhead traction system needed to power the high-speed trains.
To reduce noise from high-speed operations, noise barriers have been installed along 297 km of the alignment. The project has also completed 17 river bridges and 15 steel bridges.
Tunnel construction in Maharashtra is progressing as well. Four mountain tunnels have been excavated, while around 5 km of tunnel construction using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method has been completed.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will connect 12 stations across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Around 90 per cent of the route is being developed as an elevated corridor, with the remaining sections consisting of tunnels, bridges and station areas.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said India’s first bullet train is expected to begin its inaugural 100-km service between Surat and Vapi in August 2027. The full 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is expected to become operational by 2029.
Once completed, trains will be capable of reaching speeds of up to 320 kmph. The journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is expected to take 1 hour 58 minutes with four stops, while services stopping at all 12 stations will take around 2 hours 17 minutes.
The corridor will be opened in phases, with sections covering Vapi-Surat, Vapi-Ahmedabad and Thane-Ahmedabad planned before the complete Mumbai-Ahmedabad route becomes operational.
