Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train service to start 'very soon': check details
What's the story
India's first bullet train service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start operations "very soon," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Sunday. The minister said the journey time will be reduced to just two hours and seven minutes. He made the announcement at Bhavnagar terminus in Gujarat, where he virtually flagged off three express trains: the Bhavnagar Terminus-Ayodhya Cantt Express, the Rewa-Pune Express, and the Jabalpur-Raipur Express.
Route details
Bullet train will run on 508km high-speed rail corridor
The train will run on a 508km high-speed rail corridor, starting from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai and passing through Vapi, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It will run at a speed of 320km/h. The corridor will have 12 stations across Maharashtra and Gujarat. The project is anticipated to cost ₹1,08,000 crore, with 81% funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The remaining 19% is being financed by the Railways Ministry (50%) and Maharashtra and Gujarat (25% each).
Financials
Project estimated to cost ₹1,08,000 crore
Vaishnaw also announced several upcoming railway projects in Gujarat during the event. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project is estimated to cost approximately ₹1,08,000 crore. Of this, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81% of the project cost, which amounts to ₹88,000 crore, Vaishnaw informed. This collaboration marks India's first foray into high-speed rail using Japanese bullet train technology across the entire corridor.
Contract details
Trainsets to be built using Japanese Shinkansen technology
In 2023, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai awarded a contract to BEML Limited for designing and manufacturing two high-speed trains for this project. Each train car costs ₹27.86 crore, with a total contract value of ₹866.87 crore. Both trainsets will be built using Japanese Shinkansen technology to meet international standards. The Vapi-Sabarmati section is expected to be completed by December 2027, while the entire project is expected to be finished by December 2029.