Bullet train gets symbolic display at Rail Bhavan as Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor targets 2027 launch

India’s

proposed bullet train project has got a symbolic public visual display at the Ministry of Railways in New Delhi, with a representative image installed at Gate Number 4 of Rail Bhavan.

Railway officials have clarified that the image is representational and not the final approved design. Officials said the display may also be replaced if needed.

The symbolic visual features an orange-and-silver train design that resembles the styling of the Vande Bharat trains.

What we know about the project

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project is a 508-km corridor being developed with technical and financial assistance from Japan.

The route will pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Twelve stations are planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.

The bullet train is expected to run at a top speed of 320 kmph, reducing travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to nearly two hours from the current 6-8 hours.

The project was formally launched in 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad.

The corridor was initially targeted for completion in 2023, but delays linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges pushed the timeline further. The full route is now expected to become operational by 2027-28, with August 15, 2027 currently being targeted for launch.

The Ministry of Railways has also expressed confidence that the first operational section between Surat and Bilimora could begin services this year.

Tunnel work advances

The first representational look of the train surfaced a day after the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) announced progress on tunnel construction for the project in Mumbai.

NHSRCL said the first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) cutterhead had been lowered at Vikhroli in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs.

The 13.6-metre diameter cutterhead weighs 350 tonnes and marks the final stage of assembling the TBM’s main shield for the high-speed rail corridor.

According to NHSRCL, two TBMs weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each are being assembled for the construction of a 16-km section of the 21-km Mumbai tunnel.

The tunnel includes a 7-km undersea stretch beneath Thane Creek, which will become India’s first undersea rail tunnel.

“The TBMs are the largest machines deployed so far for rail tunnel construction in the country,” NHSRCL said in a statement cited by PTI.

A nearly 6-km stretch from Vikhroli to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) will be excavated using the TBMs. The tunnel will pass beneath densely populated areas and the Mithi river before reaching the under-construction BKC station.

Stations near completion

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament earlier this year that foundation work had been completed at eight stations — Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.

He said 17 river bridges have already been completed, while work is at an advanced stage on the Narmada, Mahi, Tapti and Sabarmati bridges in Gujarat. Construction is also underway on four river bridges in Maharashtra.

Depot construction at Thane, Surat and Sabarmati is progressing, while civil work at the Bandra Kurla Complex station is also moving ahead.

According to the minister, excavation work at BKC has achieved around 91% progress, while basement slab work at Level-4 has been fully completed.

“The work of the under-sea tunnel (approximately 21 km) has commenced, out of which 4.8 km of tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata in Maharashtra has been completed,” Vaishnaw said.

India’s rail push

Officials said the MAHSR project is expected to help India build expertise in areas such as track construction, advanced signalling, rolling stock manufacturing, maintenance and project management for future high-speed rail corridors.

Under the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, the Integral Coach Factory is working with Bharat Earth Movers Limited to design and manufacture high-speed train sets with a design speed of 280 kmph.

Land acquisition for the project has been carried out under existing laws, with compensation and rehabilitation measures implemented in coordination with state governments.

Officials said the corridor is being designed for high-frequency operations with large passenger carrying capacity.