Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, after a thorough assessment of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, commended the satisfactory progress made during a recent review on Thursday. While he refrained from providing a specific completion deadline for the overall project, Vaishnaw emphasized the positive momentum in the work.
“We proceed section by section in a linear project. It is a complex project, and the work is going on at a very good speed,” stated the minister. “After reviewing the project, I am quite satisfied and impressed with its progress.”
The 508-km-long project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad has seen the erection of viaducts covering a length of 272 km. Vaishnaw highlighted the complexity of the route, which includes eight rivers, with bridges already constructed over five of them.
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Emphasizing specific milestones, the minister reaffirmed that the 50-km-long section between Surat and Billimora is scheduled for completion by 2026, and the work is on track as per the established timeline.
Vaishnaw underscored the economic significance of the bullet train corridor, connecting major economic centers such as Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Surat, Baroda, Anand, and Ahmedabad. “At many stations, significant progress has been made,” he added.
Providing insights into the project’s unique features, Vaishnaw mentioned the proposal for the bullet train to pass through a sea tunnel to reach Mumbai from Thane, with work on the sea tunnel already underway.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train corridor, announced in 2017, envisions bullet trains operating at a speed of 320 kmph. Initially slated for completion by 2022, the project’s deadline was extended by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited, the executing body of the project.
