Surat: India’s ambitious bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is well on track, with the country’s first station in Surat almost ready.
According to Gujarat minister Harsh Sangahvi, trial runs will begin next year while full operations could begin in 2029.
“India’s first bullet train station in Surat is almost ready. Trial runs will begin next year, and full service is expected by 2029. Also, 300 km of viaduct work near Surat is now complete with the launch of a 40-meter full-span box girder,” the minister of State for Home, Industries, Transport, Youth and Sports posted on X, sharing pictures of the Surat station and various sections of the tracks currently under construction.
India’s first bullet train station in Surat is almost ready. Trial runs will begin next year, and full service is expected by 2029.
Also, 300 km of viaduct work near Surat is now complete with the launch of a 40-meter full-span box girder. pic.twitter.com/SF2xd3O6EX
— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) May 24, 2025
A few days earlier, the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) informed that 300 km of viaducts, the elevated sections that will carry the high-speed line, were completed with the launch of a 40-metre girder near Surat, known as the diamond city.
Calling it a big push for the 508km-long corridor, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: “This is a first for Indian infrastructure, reflecting India’s growing capabilities in high-speed rail technology with the support of the Japanese government.”
Of the 300 km superstructure, 257.4 km has been constructed through the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM), with 14 river bridges, and 37.8 km through Span by Span (SBS), 0.9 km of steel bridges, 1.2 km PSC bridges and 2.7 km in station building, NHSRCL said.
Besides the viaducts, around 383 km of pier work, 401 km of foundation and 326 km of girder casting has been completed for the bullet train project.
The total cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor project is Rs 1.08 lakh crore.
