Mumbai: The timeline for the launch of the bullet train on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route remains uncertain. While the government aims to begin operations by 2026, technical challenges indicate that bullet trains may not actually run until 2030.
Instead, plans are in place to introduce high-speed Vande Bharat trains, capable of reaching speeds of 250 km/h, by 2026. This is a major upgrade from the current Vande Bharat trains, which operate at 180 km/h. To support this transition, two new Vande Bharat trains equipped with advanced technology are already under development, as reported by Dainik Bhaskar.
Details On The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project's Progress
Although bullet trains can achieve speeds of up to 350 km/h, their operational speed in India will be capped at 250 km/h. The estimated cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is Rs 1 lakh crore, with Japan providing Rs 88,000 crore as a loan at a highly concessional interest rate of 0.1%. The loan repayment is spread over 50 years, with a 15-year grace period during which no principal or interest needs to be paid.
Railway Board officials argued that the economic impact of the bullet train project should not be evaluated solely based on passenger fare revenue. The project is expected to drive major economic growth along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, including Maharashtra’s Palghar and Gujarat’s Valsad. It is anticipated to spur the development of new production hubs, townships, logistics centers and industrial units, creating a boom in economic activities, particularly in sectors like cement and steel.
Fate Of 6 Other Proposed Corridors Remains Uncertain
While the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is making steady progress, the future of six other proposed bullet train routes remains uncertain. These include Delhi-Amritsar, Howrah-Varanasi-Patna, Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi, Delhi-Jaipur-Udaipur-Ahmedabad, Mumbai-Nashik-Nagpur and Mumbai-Hyderabad, according to the report.
Of these, only the Delhi-Amritsar and Howrah-Varanasi-Patna routes are in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, while feasibility studies are ongoing for the others. For the Delhi-Varanasi route, earlier feasibility reports were rejected due to technical challenges, such as multiple sharp turns on a 180-degree stretch. Only after completing these assessments can decisions on these routes be finalised.
In the meantime, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will likely debut with high-speed Vande Bharat trains in 2026, bridging the gap until bullet trains become operational.
