7 km long under sea tunnel coming up at Thane Creek
*508 km long track will have 12 stations
Gopal Sharma
Ahmedabad, Feb 23: India’s first bullet train’s trial run on the 508-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor will be conducted on August 15, 2026.
Talking to a media delegation from Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab here today, Principal Chief Project Manager (PCPM) Rajesh Aggarwal said that the first trial run of the high-speed bullet train on a 100-km stretch between Surat and Vapi will be conducted on August 15, 2026. He further said that this project will be completed on time.
Aggarwal said the J-Slab ballast less track system, based on Japanese Shinkansen technology, is being used for the first time in India in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor spanning 508 kilometres.
The corridor will provide fast connectivity between Maharashtra and Gujarat in western India. It will have 12 stations, including Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
Aggarwal further said that the entire process of track installation is fully mechanised with cutting-edge machinery specially designed and manufactured as per Japanese specifications. “Machines such as Rail Feeder Cars, Track Slab Laying Cars, CAM Laying Cars and Flash Butt Welding Machines will be deployed for track construction work,” he said.
To ensure proper implementation of the Shinkansen track technology, extensive training and certification programmes are being conducted for Indian engineers, supervisors and technicians by Japanese experts, he added.
Expressing confidence in meeting the scheduled deadline, Aggarwal said India’s first bullet train project marks a significant step towards modernising the country’s rail infrastructure.
The journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be completed in about 2 hours and 7 minutes with limited stops at Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad, substantially reducing travel time compared to conventional rail or road transport.
The total project length is 508 km connecting Gujarat and Maharashtra. As many as 28 steel bridges, with spans varying between 60 metres and 130+100 metres (continuous), have been planned across national and state highways, irrigation canals, rivers and existing railway tracks.
The estimated cost of the project is approximately ?1,08,000 crore (about USD 17 billion), excluding taxes. It is being executed with financial assistance through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is funding the majority of the project cost.
About 90 per cent of the alignment is elevated and is being constructed primarily using the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM). “This unique construction technique is being used for the first time in the country. India is among the few countries in the world to adopt and master this method,” he said, adding that FSLM is nearly ten times faster than conventional segmental construction techniques used for viaducts.
The MAHSR corridor will include eight mountain tunnels constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
The alignment also features a 21-km-long tunnel, including India’s first 7-km-long undersea tunnel beneath Thane Creek. Of the total length, about 5 km will be constructed using the NATM technique, while the remaining portion will be built using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs).
For seamless passenger experience, stations along the corridor will be developed as integrated transport hubs with connectivity to metro rail, buses, taxis and other local transport systems.
Speaking on safety systems, Aggarwal said advanced features such as Rail Temperature Monitoring, Early Earthquake Detection Systems, Wind Speed Monitoring and Rainfall Monitoring Systems are being incorporated into the project.
He said the bullet train project is expected to stimulate economic growth by generating employment during both construction and operational phases, attracting investments and revitalising areas around stations. By improving mobility and connectivity, the project will enhance worker productivity and foster greater business collaboration.
The project aligns with the PM Gati Shakti initiative aimed at transforming India’s infrastructure and connectivity towards building a Viksit Bharat.
“In shaping the future of Viksit Bharat, the bullet train will stimulate the Indian economy, generate direct and indirect employment, act as a catalyst for real estate development, boost ‘Make in India’, enhance mobility, save time and money, promote tourism and pave the way for new industries,” Aggarwal said.
India’s first bullet train is expected to begin operations in 2027 on the initial section, while the full corridor is slated to be operational by 2029.
“Out of 508 kilometers track, 324 kilometers has been completed so far. Train with the speed of 350 kilometers per hour will be able to run on this high speed track,” the officials said.
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