India’s first high-speed rail initiative is advancing steadily, with official data indicating significant progress on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor. According to the January monitoring report released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the 508-km project has achieved over 58% physical completion.
The project is among key infrastructure developments tracked under the government’s Project Assessment Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation Building (PRAGATI) framework. Data from the report shows that expenditure has already crossed Rs 87,755 crore, out of an estimated base cost of around Rs 1.08 lakh crore.
However, the overall project cost is expected to rise significantly, with estimates suggesting it could approach Rs 2 lakh crore. Officials indicated that the railways may absorb the additional costs without seeking further financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which has financed a large portion of the project so far.
Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that the first operational segment of the bullet train will run between Surat and Vapi, with an inaugural service planned for August 2027. This initial stretch forms part of the larger Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, which is expected to become fully operational by 2029.
Vaishnaw said the Mumbai–Ahmedabad travel time would drop to 1 hour 58 minutes once the corridor is ready. “A significant milestone is that the bullet train will cover the distance between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in just 1 hour 58 minutes upon the completion of the high-speed rail corridor. The inaugural run in August 2027 will cover 100 km between Surat and Vapi,” Vaishaw said.
The trains on this corridor are expected to operate at speeds of up to 320 kmph. With limited halts, the journey will take under two hours, while stopping at all 12 stations will extend travel time slightly.
“The bullet train will cover the distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in 1 hour 58 minutes with four stops. However, if it halts at all 12 stations, the total journey time will be 2 hours 17 minutes,” Vaishnaw said.
The project will be executed in phases, beginning with sections such as Vapi–Surat and Vapi–Ahmedabad, followed by the Thane–Ahmedabad stretch, before the full Mumbai–Ahmedabad route is completed by December 2029.
Source: Swarajya
