Delhi: Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced that the country is set to receive its first bullet train on August 15, 2025.
The Railway minister said that on the day, the first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will open. This 47 km Surat-Bilimora stretch kicks off a phased rollout on the 508 km route, which will cut travel time from Mumbai to Ahmedabad from over seven hours to about two hours.
The groundbreaking project, promises to revolutionise inter-city travel, cutting journey times significantly while introducing world-class high-speed rail standards in India. The second operational section will connect Vapi to Surat, followed by an extension from Vapi to Ahmedabad, and finally the Thane-Ahmedabad stretch, the railway minister said.
While addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The bullet train will be ready in 2027, August 15th, 2027. The first section to open will be from Surat to Bilimora. After that, Vapi to Surat will open. Then Vapi to Ahmedabad will open, and after that, Thane to Ahmedabad will open, and then Mumbai to Ahmedabad will open.”
Known as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor, the bullet train project is one of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, marking the country’s entry into the era of high-speed connectivity. The corridor will connect major cities, including Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane and Mumbai.
The minister also said that significant civil and systems work of the project has already been completed.
On the other hand, Ashwini Vaishnaw also announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train between Kolkata and Guwahati.
He said that the fares of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train between Howrah in West Bengal and Guwahati in Assam will be substantially lower than air travel.
“The services will become operational in the next 15-20 days, possibly around January 18 or 19. We have requested the prime minister, and everything is clear. I will announce the exact date in the next two to three days,” Vaishnaw said.