India’s first high-speed rail project, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, has achieved over 61% physical completion, marking a significant milestone in the construction of the 508-km route. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) Project Monitoring Flash Report for June, Rs 90,966.89 crore has been spent on the project so far.
The high-speed rail corridor is being monitored through MoSPI’s Project Assessment Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation Building (PRAGATI) portal. While the project was initially estimated to cost around Rs 1.08 lakh crore, reports suggest the final expenditure could reach nearly Rs 2 lakh crore. Indian Railways is expected to absorb the additional costs without seeking further financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has funded a substantial portion of the project.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament that construction is progressing steadily across the corridor. As of now, 209 km of track bed has been completed, while overhead electrification masts have been installed along 190 km of the alignment. In addition, construction of 452 km of piers has been finished, and girders have been launched over 356 km.
The corridor will pass through Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, connecting 12 stations at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
Construction is also progressing on the project’s 21-km undersea tunnel, with 4.8 km of tunnelling between Ghansoli and Shilphata in Maharashtra already completed. On the 97-km Surat-Vapi stretch, all civil works, including river bridges, have been completed, while 86% of the track bed has been laid. Nearly 90% of the corridor is being developed as an elevated route, with the remaining sections comprising tunnels, bridges and station infrastructure.
Vaishnaw had earlier announced that the first commercial bullet train service, covering the 100-km Surat-Vapi section, is expected to begin operations in August 2027. The Vapi-Ahmedabad and Thane-Ahmedabad stretches will follow, with the entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor targeted for completion by December 2029.
Once operational, trains will run at speeds of up to 320 kmph. According to the minister, the journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will take 1 hour and 58 minutes with four intermediate stops, while trains stopping at all 12 stations will take 2 hours and 17 minutes. The project is expected to enhance connectivity between major commercial centres in western India significantly.
Source: Money Control
