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India, Japan Review Progress Of Rs 1.08 Trillion Bullet Train

2025-10-08

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Hiromasa Nakano on Friday jointly reviewed the progress of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project, India’s first bullet train corridor, being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.08 trillion.

Minister Nakano was welcomed with a traditional Garba reception at Surat International Airport, where MP Mukesh Dalal, Mayor Daxesh Mavani, senior railway officials, and representatives from the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) were present.

At Surat, the ministers inspected the track construction base, where they witnessed the laying of the J-slab ballast-less track system on the elevated viaduct. Vaishnaw highlighted the recent installation of the project’s first track turnout near Surat High-Speed Rail (HSR) Station, marking an important construction milestone.

Later, the delegation travelled by Vande Bharat Express to Mumbai to inspect the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) underground bullet train station. Excavation work there has reached a depth of over 30 metres, equivalent to a 10-storey building, with 84 per cent of excavation already completed. The three-level station — comprising a platform, concourse, and service floor — will feature skylights, metro and road connectivity, and modern passenger facilities.

Project Milestones

The 508-kilometre MAHSR corridor has achieved substantial progress:

323 km of viaduct and 399 km of pier construction completed
17 river bridges, 5 PSC bridges, and 9 steel bridges finished
211 km of track bed laid and over 400,000 noise barriers installed
7 mountain tunnels under construction in Palghar and a 21-km NATM tunnel between BKC and Shilphata, with 5 km already completed
Construction of rolling stock depots at Surat and Ahmedabad advancing rapidly
Station superstructures in Gujarat nearing completion, while work on three elevated stations in Maharashtra has begun

Minister Nakano and the Japanese delegation commended the engineering quality and speed of execution, also praising India’s Vande Bharat Express as a symbol of home-grown technological progress. Both ministers reaffirmed Japan’s continued partnership and support in bringing high-speed rail technology to India.

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train, which will cut travel time between the two cities to just two hours, represents a cornerstone of India’s modern transport infrastructure. The joint review underscores the strengthening India–Japan collaboration in delivering sustainable, world-class railway systems.

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