Bullet train project likely to be completed by August 2027: Rail Minister
AHMEDABAD: The bullet train project connecting Ahmedabad to Mumbai is expected to be completed by August 2027, Railway and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference – North Gujarat in Mehsana on Thursday.
“The work on the bullet train is progressing rapidly. The installation of wire ducts, girders, and tracks is underway, and the laying of electric cables has already begun,” the minister said, highlighting the progress made by the Railways in Gujarat.
Vaishnaw informed that Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hiromasa Nakano, recently visited the high-speed rail (HSR) construction sites of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project in Surat and Mumbai.
Japan is providing essential funding for the project through a 50-year loan at a nominal interest rate of 0.1%.
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, spanning 508 km, has achieved significant construction milestones. Of the total viaduct, 323 km has been completed, along with 399 km of pier work. Key bridge works include 17 river bridges, 5 PSC bridges, and 9 steel bridges. A total of 211 km of track bed has been laid, and over 4 lakh noise barriers have been installed along the corridor.
Excavation is underway for seven mountain tunnels in Palghar, while 5 km of the 21 km NATM tunnel between BKC and Shilphata has achieved breakthrough. Rolling stock depots at Surat and Ahmedabad are also under construction. Superstructure work on all Gujarat stations is at an advanced stage, and work has commenced on all three elevated stations in Maharashtra.
Speaking at the summit, Vaishnaw said that projects worth ₹1.46 lakh crore are currently underway in Gujarat, with several more in the pipeline. “In the past 11 years, Railways have laid 2,764 km of new rail lines in Gujarat alone — equivalent to the total rail network of Denmark,” he said, thanking the Gujarat government for its continuous support in expanding the rail network in the state.
He further added that 87 stations are being renovated, and 132 flyovers and underpasses are under construction across Gujarat.
