The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is all set to make its first commercial journey in December 2027, marking a historic moment for India’s high-speed rail ambitions, News18 reported.
The first operational section, connecting Surat and Bilimora, will kickstart the corridor, with the Thane stretch expected to follow in 2028 and the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai ready by 2029.
The project has crossed a major milestone with the completion of a 5-km tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata. Officials said the work was carried out using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), which successfully connected the Savali shaft with the Shilphata tunnel portal.
India’s first high-speed rail corridor
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project will be India’s first bullet train route. Once completed, it will connect Mumbai, one of India’s largest financial hubs, with Ahmedabad, a major industrial city in Gujarat. The corridor will cover a distance of 508 km, including a 21-km underground section between BKC and Shilphata, with 7 km of it passing beneath Thane Creek.
The bullet train will cut travel time drastically as it is designed to run at speeds of up to 320 kmph. The travel time from Mumbai to Ahmedabad will be of just over 2 hours, which currently takes around 6-7 hours on the road or on a regular train. According to the minister, trains will run every half an hour during peak hours, and eventually every 10 minutes once the service is fully stabilised.
The major tunnel work
Construction of the tunnel began in May 2024, with three different starting points. The first breakthrough was achieved in July this year on a 2.7-km stretch, and the latest progress has now completed a continuous 4.881-km portion.
The tunnel, measuring 12.6 metres wide and 13.1 metres in diameter, has been designed to house twin tracks, allowing trains to move in both directions within the same tube.
The bullet train project is also introducing Japanese Shinkansen technology to India, known worldwide for its safety, comfort, and punctuality.
Across the corridor, significant progress has already been made. Engineers have completed 321 km of viaduct work, 398 km of pier construction, 17 river bridges, and 9 steel bridges. Over four lakh noise barriers have been installed, and track bed work has covered more than 200 km.
With the NATM portion of tunnelling completed, attention now shifts to the remaining 16 km of tunnel, which will be excavated using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs).
In Maharashtra, the underground Mumbai station is under construction, with the base slab casting already in progress. Meanwhile, most of the Gujarat stations are at an advanced stage of construction.
Ticket prices for the bullet train are yet to be officially announced. According to the News18 report, a full journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad may cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000, while shorter routes such as BKC to Thane could be cheaper.
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