Construction of India’s first bullet train is progressing across the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, with major works underway in Thane and Palghar. The route passes through a diverse landscape featuring mountains, rivers and major transport corridors. The Maharashtra portion includes a 135.45-km elevated stretch from Shilphata in Thane to Zaroli village near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border.

Of this stretch, 124.027 km will consist of viaducts and bridges, allowing the high-speed railway to pass above the ground across much of the route. Three elevated stations are planned in Maharashtra at Thane, Virar and Boisar. The Thane station is being constructed around 12 metres above ground level, while work inside tunnels has also progressed with drainage, waterproofing and lining activities underway.

More than 100 km of pier construction has been completed along the Maharashtra section, while around 74 km of piers are ready for the next stage of construction. The project also involves extensive tunnelling through the region’s hills, with seven mountain tunnels planned along this section. These engineering works are being carried out across challenging terrain as construction advances on different parts of the corridor.

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Several major bridges are also being constructed to carry the bullet train across rivers. These include a 460-metre bridge over the Ulhas River, a 2.32-km bridge over the Vaitarna River and a 510-metre bridge over the Jagani River. Overall, the Maharashtra section will have 36 bridges and crossings, including 12 steel bridges spanning railway lines, rivers and major highways.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that India could get its first bullet train service on August 15, 2027. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is planned to open in phases rather than becoming operational in its entirety at once. The Surat-Bilimora section is expected to be among the first portions to open, followed by the Vapi-Surat section.

The entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is expected to become fully operational by 2029. Once completed, the 508-km corridor is designed for trains operating at speeds of up to 320 kmph, with the full journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad expected to take around 1 hour and 58 minutes. The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two major cities while introducing high-speed rail technology on a large scale in India.

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