New Delhi: India’s first bullet train service will begin phased operations from August 15, 2027, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Sunday. The Surat-Bilimora section of the 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor will be the country’s inaugural high speed stretch to open.
The corridor will be commissioned in stages, allowing parts of the route to become operational before the entire line is completed. After the Surat Bilimora launch, remaining segments including Vapi Surat, Vapi Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad Thane and Ahmedabad Mumbai will be opened progressively, the ministry said.
Vaishnaw said nearly 80 per cent of the MAHSR project is complete and construction is advancing to meet the target timeline. The high speed link is expected to cut travel time between the two financial hubs, introduce advanced rail technology and boost economic activity along the corridor.
The minister also outlined plans for an expanded high speed network centred on Hyderabad, proposing corridors for Pune Hyderabad, Hyderabad Chennai and Hyderabad Bengaluru, along with a planned Hyderabad Mumbai link. He said these projects will transform Hyderabad’s connectivity and support regional development.
Vaishnaw highlighted the broader railway modernisation drive under the station redevelopment programme, noting that 261 stations nationwide are being upgraded under the Nav Nirmaan initiative. In Telangana, Secunderabad, Begumpet and HITEC City stations are among those being redeveloped.
(Inputs from IANS)