New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Railways on Monday unveiled the first look of India’s proposed bullet train, which will operate between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The image has been put on display at Gate Number 4 of the Ministry of Railways premises to draw attention to a symbol of India’s ambitious plans to transform rail travel with advanced technology and faster transit systems, the ministry said in a statement.
As India’s first semi high-speed rail project, the bullet train will serve as a pioneer project, acting as a reference model for the phased expansion of semi high-speed rail across the country, the ministry said.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is scheduled to be launched on August 15, 2027.
The train is expected to reduce travel time between the two major cities drastically. Currently, the quickest that one can travel between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in a train is 5 hours and 30 minutes, by Vande Bharat Express.
Once them bullet train service is operational, the 508-km distance will be covered in around two hours.
The first look of the bullet train surfaced a day after the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) informed that the first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) cutterhead has been lowered at Vikhroli in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs for the construction of a tunnel for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
The 13.6-metre diameter cutterhead, weighing 350 tonnes, marks the final stage in the primary assembly of the TBM’s main shield for the high-speed rail corridor project, NHSRCL said in a press release.
Two TBMs, each weighing more than 3,000 tonnes, are being assembled for the construction of a 16-km section of the 21-km-long Mumbai tunnel. The stretch includes a 7-km undersea tunnel beneath Thane Creek, which will be India’s first undersea rail tunnel, the release added.
Route to have 12 stations across 3 states
In February, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Lok Sabha that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor will run through Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The ambitious project will have 12 stations — Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
