August 1, 2025: The Ministry of Railways is making swift progress on India’s first bullet train project — the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor — spanning 508 kilometres. The project is being executed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
With a total estimated cost of Rs 1.08 trillion, approximately Rs 7,880 crore had been expended on the project as of June 30, 2025. In a written response to the Lok Sabha on July 23, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Gujarat section — running from Vapi to Sabarmati — is scheduled for completion by December 2027.
This section will encompass eight stations: Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati. The full 12-station corridor will also include Mumbai, Thane, Virar, and Boisar, with the entire route expected to be operational by December 2029.
A major construction milestone was recently achieved with the first breakthrough in the 21-kilometre tunnel being developed between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata in Maharashtra. Notably, this tunnel includes a 7-kilometre undersea stretch beneath Thane Creek — a first in Indian rail construction.
Of the total tunnel length, 5 kilometres is being constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) between Shilphata and Ghansoli. The remaining 16 kilometres will be developed using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), showcasing a blend of advanced engineering techniques.
The MAHSR corridor is set to significantly transform India’s rail infrastructure, drastically cutting travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad — two of the country’s key economic centres — and paving the way for future high-speed rail corridors.
Source: Construction World
