January 2, 2026: Mumbai’s long-awaited bullet train project moved closer to reality after Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India’s first high-speed rail service is expected to begin operations on August 15, 2027. The announcement brings renewed focus on Mumbai as a key terminal of the 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, which is being developed as the country’s first bullet train route.
Outlining the rollout plan, Vaishnaw said, “The bullet train will be ready in 2027, August 15th, 2027.” He explained that services will be introduced in phases before reaching Mumbai. “The first section to open will be from Surat to Bilimora. After that, Vapi to Surat will open. Then Vapi to Ahmedabad will open, and after that, Thane to Ahmedabad will open, and then Mumbai to Ahmedabad will open,” he said.
For Mumbai, this phased approach means the city will be integrated into the high-speed network after intermediate sections are stabilised. Once fully operational, the corridor is designed for speeds of up to 320 kmph, reducing travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to under two hours, a significant shift for inter-city travel from the financial capital.
Vaishnaw also made a light-hearted remark on the project’s certainty, saying, “For the bullet train … you can buy a ticket now itself, as it will be operational by 2027.” Officials have said that work on the corridor has advanced steadily, with major progress on viaducts, bridges, tunnels and stations. Around 320 km of viaduct construction has already been completed, while land acquisition, tunnelling, station works and electrification are underway simultaneously.
The project is being executed in collaboration with Japan, combining Shinkansen technology with large-scale Indian engineering. While the first operational services are targeted for 2027, full end-to-end operations between Mumbai and Ahmedabad are expected by 2029.
Separately, the minister announced that the first Vande Bharat sleeper train will be launched later this month, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to flag it off in the second half of January 2026. Highlighting the impact of the Vande Bharat programme, Vaishnaw said it has created a “new sense of confidence across the country,” adding that demand for such services is growing nationwide.
