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Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that India's first bullet train project is making rapid progress and that the first operational section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor will begin services next year.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train to Start Operations Next Year
Speaking at the HYSEA GCCS & IT Roundtable in Hyderabad on Saturday, Vaishnaw said the first phase of the project will operate between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat, marking the beginning of India's first bullet train service. He added that the remaining sections of the corridor will be opened in phases. The next sections to become operational will be Vapi-Surat, followed by Vapi-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Thane, and finally Ahmedabad-Mumbai.
The Railway Minister said India has now developed the capability to build and operate bullet trains. He added that expanding the high-speed rail network will improve connectivity, reduce travel time and strengthen economic growth by linking major cities.
Additional High-Speed Rail Corridors
Vaishnaw also announced plans for three new high-speed rail corridors connecting Hyderabad with Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru. According to him, these projects will transform Hyderabad into a major high-speed rail hub and improve economic links between western and southern India.
He said the proposed Mumbai-Pune bullet train corridor will reduce travel time on the 170-km route to just 48 minutes. Similarly, the nearly 500-km journey between Pune and Hyderabad is expected to take around two hours and eight minutes. The planned network will connect important cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vapi and Thane, creating a strong economic corridor.
Sharing updates on railway infrastructure, Vaishnaw said that 261 railway stations across the country have already been redeveloped under the Centre's Nav-Nirmaan programme. He also said that redevelopment work at Secunderabad railway station is progressing while train services continue. The project includes improvements in safety, better passenger facilities and the construction of a large air concourse above the platforms.
The minister also highlighted the Centre's investment in Telangana. He said the state has benefited from electronics manufacturing initiatives and has received a railway budget of Rs 5,400 crore, which is helping to speed up infrastructure development and modernise the railway network.