Modi to review progress at under-construction bullet train station in Surat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on November 15 to inspect progress at the under-construction Surat bullet train station and review the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the under-construction bullet train station in Gujarat's Surat on Saturday, November 15. He will also review the progress of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR), the country’s first bullet train project.

 

The MAHSR spans approximately 508 km, covering 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and 156 km in Maharashtra. The corridor will link major cities such as Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane, and Mumbai, the government said in a press release.

 

Once completed, the bullet train will cut down the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to approximately two hours and will make inter-city travel faster, easier, and more comfortable. The project is expected to strengthen business, tourism, and economic activity along the entire corridor.

 

 

About 465 km, or 85 per cent of the route, is being built on viaducts to reduce land disturbance and improve safety. So far, 326 km of viaducts have been completed, and 17 of the 25 planned river bridges are already in place.

 

The 47-km Surat–Bilimora section is in an advanced stage of completion, with all civil works and track-bed laying finished. The Surat station has been designed to reflect the city’s world-renowned diamond industry. The station has been designed to prioritise passenger comfort and features spacious waiting areas, restrooms, and retail outlets. It will also offer seamless multi-modal connectivity with the Surat Metro, city buses, and the Indian Railways Network. 

ALSO READ | Bihar Assembly election results 2025: Check full list of winners here 

Vaishnaw visits the site

 

Earlier in October, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Japan's Transport Minister Hiromasa Nakano visited the site to review the progress. National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited is responsible for executing the country's first bullet train project, news agency PTI reported.

 

Citing an official, the report said, "After starting from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) area in Maharashtra, the high-speed train running at a speed of 320 km/h will revolutionise intercity travel in the region and will integrate the economies of Mumbai, Vapi, Surat, Anand, Vadodara & Ahmedabad."

 

Vaishnaw recently said that the entire project will be completed by the end of 2029.

 

Earlier in September, Vaishnaw said that the 50-km stretch between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat will open in 2027. Speaking to reporters back then, he said, "Overall progress of the first bullet train project is very good. The first 50-km section of the project between Surat and Bilimora will be open by 2027. We are preparing for that. By 2028, the entire Thane-Ahmedabad section will be commissioned, and by 2029, the entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad section will open."