The railway minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to introducing three additional bullet train corridors in the north, east and south, completing a nationwide network of four high-speed rail routes.
The completion of India’s first bullet train project will transform the stretch from Mumbai to Ahmedabad into a unified economic cluster, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, said on Saturday.
“The economies of all the major cities—Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Surat, Vadodara, Anand, and Ahmedabad—will effectively become one. This will drive significant regional growth,” Vaishnaw told mediapersons after reviewing the upcoming Surat station on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.
He drew parallels with Japan’s Shinkansen network, which catalysed regional integration following its launch in 1964.
“Similar regional growth was seen in Japan when its first bullet train project was completed. Cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe, Kyoto, and Osaka evolved into a single economic zone.”
The first section of the MAHSR corridor is expected to open in 2027, connecting Surat and Billimora in Gujarat. Once fully operational by 2029, the corridor will enable passengers to travel between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in just two hours and seven minutes.
“You could enjoy a morning jaman (feast) in Surat, travel to Mumbai in an hour, finish your work, and return home to spend time with your family. Similarly, from Ahmedabad, you could reach Mumbai in two hours, complete your business, and be back the same day,” Vaishnaw said, highlighting the corridor’s time-saving potential.
Trains on the MAHSR corridor will operate at an average speed of 320 km per hour, with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour, and services will be available every ten minutes.
Three New Corridors on the Horizon
Vaishnaw also reiterated that the government plans to announce three additional bullet train corridors soon.
“Our party (BJP) manifesto includes three more corridors—one each in the north, east, and south. With the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor in the west, the entire country will be covered by four high-speed rail corridors.”
Meanwhile, Surat—the world’s largest diamond cutting and polishing centre—is poised for a major boost in connectivity and urban development. The bullet train station has been designed with a strong focus on passenger comfort, featuring waiting lounges, a nursery, restrooms, retail outlets, and multiple lifts and escalators.
“The civil work at Surat station is complete, and finishing and utility works are now underway. That’s good progress,” Vaishnaw noted.
A multi-modal integration plan has been prepared in collaboration with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA). This will enable seamless transfers between metro trains, buses, taxis, autos, and other local transport, ensuring smooth traffic flow around the station.
-Manish Pant