New Delhi– India’s first bullet train service is scheduled to begin phased operations on Aug. 15, 2027, with the Surat-Bilimora section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor becoming the country’s first operational high-speed rail route, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The 508-kilometer corridor will open in stages, allowing completed sections to begin service before the entire project is finished. After the Surat-Bilimora stretch, the Vapi-Surat, Vapi-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Thane and Ahmedabad-Mumbai sections are expected to open progressively.
Vaishnaw said nearly 80 percent of the project has been completed and construction is moving quickly to meet the target timeline.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is expected to reduce travel time between the two major financial centers, introduce advanced rail technology and improve regional connectivity. The project is also expected to support economic growth along the route.
Vaishnaw also outlined plans to expand India’s high-speed rail network with proposed corridors linking Pune and Hyderabad, Hyderabad and Chennai, and Hyderabad and Bengaluru. A Hyderabad-Mumbai high-speed rail route is also planned.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given three high-speed bullet train corridors to Hyderabad, which will change its landscape,” Vaishnaw said, adding that the proposed network would cover large parts of Telangana and improve connectivity across several districts.
The minister also highlighted the government’s railway modernization program, under which 261 stations are being upgraded with improved infrastructure and passenger amenities.
In Telangana, Secunderabad, Begumpet and HITEC City are among the stations being redeveloped. (Source: IANS)
