India's first bullet train section to be complete by Aug 2026: Vaishnaw

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor has been making steady progress since its construction began in November 2021

The first bullet train section in India, a 50-kilometre stretch between Bilimora and Surat in Gujarat, will be completed in August 2026, announced Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday.

Vaishnaw also discussed the Kavach system, an indigenously developed warning system to guard against on-track collisions.

He further presented updates on technologies, such as the Gajraj system, to prevent elephant-train collisions, as well as the construction of extra tracks to better connect different parts of the country.

The railways minister also said the number of new trains in India had increased from before the Covid-19 pandemic - from 1,768 mail/express services to 2,124 now and from 5,626 suburban services to 5,774 now. 

Passenger trains also increased from 2,792 to 2,856 in the same period, he said, adding that the Railways served 6.4 billion passengers in 2022-23, and the target for 23-24 is 7.5 billion.

Vaishnaw's announcement on the bullet train follows his update last week, in which he stated that a significant step had been achieved - completion of 100 km of viaducts and 230 km of pier work - for the bigger Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor of which the Bilimora-Surat portion is a part.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor has been progressing steadily since its construction began in November 2021. The first kilometre of the viaduct was built in six months, and the 50th by April this year.

In addition, bridges are being built over six rivers - the Par and Auranga in Valsad district, and the Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, and Venganiya in Navsari - as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.

The projected cost is an estimated Rs 1.08 trillion, of which the Centre is committed to providing Rs 10,000 crore, while Gujarat and Maharashtra will contribute Rs 5,000 crore each. The remaining funding will be secured through a loan from Japan - at a minimal 0.1 per cent interest rate.