Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, said on Thursday that India’s first bullet train will be running by August 2027. The statement shows that development on the showpiece Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail link is moving faster.
Minister Vaishnaw gave the goal date while speaking at the first-ever Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference at Ganpat University in Mehsana. He stressed that Gujarat is the best state to host the country’s first high-speed rail line.
Fast progress on the high-speed corridor
The 508-kilometer route, which will connect 12 important stations, is growing quickly, especially in Gujarat.
Minister Vaishnaw said that work in Gujarat is going “very smoothly,” with wire ducts finished and girders put in place. Right now, work is being done on the tracks and the wires.
Recent Review: On October 3, Vaishnaw and Hiromasa Nakano, Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, both looked at the project’s development during their joint visit to project sites in Surat and Mumbai.
Status and Scope of the Project
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said that the ₹1.1-lakh crore project, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi lay the foundation stone for in September 2017, has reached numerous important milestones:
The high-speed train will connect 12 stations: Mumbai (Bandra Kurla Complex), Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati.
Gujarat’s Successful Infrastructure
Minister Vaishnaw said in his speech that Gujarat was chosen to host the project because of its excellent infrastructural development.
Railway Growth: He said that Gujarat has built 2,764 kilometers of new railway lines in the previous 11 years, which is more than the complete railway network of Denmark. During this time, the state has also received ₹1.46 lakh crore in investments in the railway industry.
Beyond Railways: The Minister pointed out that Gujarat’s growth goes beyond railways and into important areas like semiconductors and electronics. He said that ₹1.25 lakh crore has been invested in the semiconductor sector alone, and four major plants and 30 Japanese companies plan to make important parts in the state.