India's bullet train gets costlier: Final approval expected soon
India's first bullet train just got a lot more expensive—costs have jumped 83% to ₹1.98 lakh crore, mainly because prolonged land acquisition delays and approval headaches.
Railway Board CEO Satish Kumar says the final green light should come in a month or two.
Construction is on track
Even with the delays, construction is moving along: over half of the 508-km track is built, and nearly ₹86,000 crore has already been spent.
There's been progress on tough spots like the Palghar mountain tunnel, and PM Modi recently pushed for faster work.
Here's when you can ride the bullet train
If all goes as planned, a 100-km stretch is planned to run by 2027. No full-completion year has been announced for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.
Trains are expected to run at speeds up to 320km/h (think: Japan's Shinkansen vibes).
This project is just one piece of a bigger plan for seven high-speed rail corridors across India with major investment lined up.