India’s inaugural bullet train project is making significant strides, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announcing that the 50-kilometer stretch between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat is slated to open by 2027. Following this initial phase, the entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad section of the high-speed rail line is targeted to be fully operational by 2029.
Once completed, this marvel of modern engineering is expected to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad in a mere two hours and seven minutes, fundamentally transforming inter-city travel. Minister Vaishnaw emphasized that the project is progressing exceptionally well, a testament to the nation’s commitment to advanced infrastructure.
During a recent visit to the under-construction Surat bullet train station, Mr. Vaishnaw personally inspected the ongoing track installation and the critical first ‘turnout’ installation, a mechanism crucial for tracks to join or separate.
He elaborated on the project’s phased rollout: "Overall progress of the first bullet train project is very good. The first 50-km section of the project between Surat and Bilimora will be open by 2027. We are preparing for that. By 2028, the entire Thane-Ahmedabad section will be commissioned, and by 2029, the entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad section will open." The minister also confirmed the main line’s impressive speed potential of 320 kmph, with loop lines designed for 80 kmph.
Highlighting the project’s advanced technological integration, Mr. Vaishnaw stressed the paramount importance of safety and efficiency. "This is a very complex movement of trains, that’s why the most modern technologies are being used. Several vibration mechanisms have been created here. The utility cable will take the vibrations whenever the train is moving at 320 kmph," he explained.
Further emphasizing stability, he added, "Even within the tracks, many mechanisms have been put in place to absorb any vibration. There are very special safety features on the track so that the train is very stable, even if there is a very heavy gust of wind or a sudden earthquake."
Bharat’s bullet train project is advancing rapidly with the world’s most modern technology.
📍HSR Surat Station pic.twitter.com/j3zrFwiPKo
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) September 27, 2025
With heavy construction at the Surat station complete, finishing touches and utility installations are now in full swing, alongside the critical track linking work. The Minister detailed the innovative elements being deployed: "Today, the first turnout has been installed here in the Surat station on the bullet train project. Turnout is the place where the track either joins or separates. A lot of new technologies have been used here, for example, these roller bearings on which the tracks will move. This is again a totally new technology that we are using. The sleepers are made of composite material."
Mr. Vaishnaw expressed confidence that this ambitious project will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, uniting the economies of major cities along the route, much like Japan experienced with the introduction of its own bullet train system. Looking ahead, he shared the BJP’s vision for expanding India’s high-speed rail network: "We hope to start work on the new projects very soon. In our party’s (BJP’s) manifesto, we have promised three more corridors in the north, one in the east, and one in the south. Mumbai-Ahmedabad is in the western part of the country. We will have four bullet train corridors as we go forward."