Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the first Surat-Bilimora section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will begin operations next year. He said the wider high-speed rail push will deepen connectivity, support regional integration and link Hyderabad to new corridors.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said the country’s first bullet train project is progressing rapidly, announcing that the first operational section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will begin service next year.
“Our bullet train project is progressing rapidly. The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will begin operation next year,” Vaishnaw said while addressing the HYSEA GCCS & IT Roundtable in Hyderabad.
The inaugural stretch will run between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat, marking the first phase of India’s maiden high-speed rail corridor. Vaishnaw said the remaining sections would be commissioned in phases, beginning with Vapi-Surat, followed by Vapi-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Thane, and finally Ahmedabad-Mumbai.
Highlighting the project’s broader impact, the minister said India has now developed the capability to build bullet trains and that the expansion of high-speed rail will significantly improve connectivity and regional economic integration.
He also outlined the Centre’s plans for three new high-speed rail corridors linked to Hyderabad, connecting the city with Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru. According to Vaishnaw, the corridors will transform Hyderabad into a major high-speed rail hub and strengthen economic ties across western and southern India.
The minister said the proposed Mumbai-Pune bullet train corridor would reduce travel time on the 170-km route to just 48 minutes, while the nearly 500-km journey between Pune and Hyderabad would take about two hours and eight minutes. He said the network would create an integrated economic ecosystem linking Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vapi and Thane.
Providing an update on railway infrastructure, Vaishnaw said 261 railway stations across the country have already been redeveloped under the Centre’s “Nav-Nirmaan” programme. He added that the redevelopment of Secunderabad railway station is progressing while train operations continue, with work focused on safety, quality and the construction of a large air concourse above the platforms.
Vaishnaw also highlighted the Centre’s investments in Telangana, saying the state has benefited from electronics manufacturing initiatives and received a Rs 5,400 crore railway budget, driving major infrastructure development.
Article source: indiatoday.in
