Ashwini Vaishnaw, Japan's minister Nakano visit construction site of high-speed rail in Surat

Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw with Japanese minister for land, infra, transport and tourism Hiromasa Nakano

Japan's minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism Hiromasa Nakano visited the construction site of high-speed rail in Surat on October 3. Nakano was accompanied by Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as both reviewed key components of the project, including the track slab laying car and the track slab adjustment facility.

The Surat High Speed Rail Corridor is a component of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, which is set to connect the two major cities with a high-speed train travelling at a speed of up to 320 km/hour.

The Surat bullet train station is currently under construction with the completion of Gujarat section of the corridor likely to be done by August 26 next year.

Both Vaishnaw and Nakano expressed satisfaction with the quality standards being followed and commended the rapid pace of construction.

The new line aims to significantly reduce travel time and integrate the economies of the cities along its route. The line will serve cities like Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad.

The visit of Nakano to the Surat site reflects strong collaboration between New Delhi and Tokyo in implementing India’s first High-Speed Rail corridor.