New Delhi: India’s first high-speed bullet train service is likely to begin operations on August 15, 2027, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, as he announced fresh progress on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, including the completion of a key mountain tunnel in Maharashtra.
Briefing the media in New Delhi on Thursday, the minister said the first operational stretch of the corridor is expected to open between Surat and Bilimora, followed by the Vapi–Surat section. The 508 km-long corridor — being built with Japanese technical collaboration — is India’s first dedicated high-speed rail network and is designed to cut travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just 1 hour and 58 minutes.
Significant construction progress is now visible across the alignment, the minister said, highlighting a milestone tunnel breakthrough achieved this week in Palghar district, Maharashtra. The 1.5 km-long mountain tunnel — located between Virar and Boisar — is the first such tunnel completed in the state under the project and one of its longest. Excavation was carried out simultaneously from both ends using the drill-and-blast method, with round-the-clock monitoring of ground conditions and strict safety protocols during the 18-month construction period.
In a post on X on Friday, the minister said: “Bharat Ka Garv: Bullet Train Project, achieves a major milestone with the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5.”
Earlier, India completed its first 5 km underground tunnel for the project between Thane and the Bandra–Kurla Complex in September 2025. In all, the corridor will include 27.4 km of tunnels, of which 21 km will be underground, while eight mountain tunnels are being constructed across Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to a PIB release.
Vaishnaw said the project is not only reshaping India’s transport infrastructure but is also generating large-scale employment, boosting local economies and enabling technology and knowledge transfer. Once operational, the service is expected to offer fast, comfortable and affordable travel and will lead to an “estimated reduction of nearly 95 percent in carbon dioxide emissions compared to road transport,” he said.
The MAHSR corridor will run through 12 major stations including Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati, covering 352 km in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and 156 km in Maharashtra.
Work on mountain tunnels in Maharashtra is progressing in phases, with physical completion ranging between 15 and 55 percent across various locations. The minister said the project continues to advance at pace as India builds its first high-speed rail ecosystem with international technology partners.
