Ahmedabad: Gujarat is progressing quite fast towards completion of the high speed rail corridor (popularly known as the Bullet Train corridor) in the state.
An official of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) said on Monday that construction of the fifth pre-stressed concrete (PSC) bridge for the ambitious project has been completed.
This bridge runs across the under-construction National Highway 4 that will connect Delhi and Mumbai, passing through Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Bullet Train, which will run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is expected to cover the distance of just over 500 kilometres in three hours.
The fastest train that currently operates on this route is the Vande Bharat Express, which takes five-and-a-half hours to complete the journey.
Laying of tracks has already begun in Gujarat and NHSRCL plans to conduct trials between Surat and Bilimora — a 50 km stretch — in 2026.
“The plan is to start commercial services between Vadodara and Vapi in the second half of 2027. Since work in Gujarat is progressing at a quicker pace, it is prudent to start running the high speed train in that state as soon as possible, instead of waiting for the entire project to be completed,” the official said.
According to some political commentators, the ‘double engine’ BJP government in Gujarat is looking to launch this 50-km section ahead of Assembly elections in the state, due in the state in November-December 2027.
The completed fifth bridge is between Surat and Bharuch stations, near Kosamba in Surat district.
“This bridge is 260 metres long. It has a balanced cantilever design and was divided into four spans while construction. A total of 104 precast segments were used during its construction. Attention was paid to safety as construction work is also going on for the highway,” the official added.
Commercial services along the entire 508 km corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is expected to start by 2033.
