The under-construction bullet train project has crossed a major milestone with the breakthrough on the 21 km undersea tunnel between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Thane, bringing India’s first high-speed rail corridor a step closer to completion.
India’s first bullet train service on the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor will operate with next-generation Shinkansen trainsets, the Ministry of Railways has confirmed.
“In the spirit of strategic partnership between Japan and India, the Japanese government has agreed to introduce the latest E10 Shinkansen trains on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad section. The train will be introduced simultaneously in India and Japan,” a ministry statement said on Monday.
The Shinkansen network currently operates E5 series trains, with the E10 models representing the next evolutionary upgrade.
Railway officials have also dismissed recent reports suggesting that the bullet train project had been shelved.
“The claims are misleading, with no such decision having been taken,” the officials clarified.
Being developed with Japanese Shinkansen technology, the 508 km corridor aims to set new benchmarks in speed, safety and operational reliability across India’s railway network.
Undersea Tunnel Breakthrough
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways also announced the breakthrough in the 21 km undersea tunnel between BKC and Thane. This development follows the recent completion of 310 km of viaducts, which is more than 60 per cent of the total corridor length.
Track laying, electrical systems, station works and bridge construction are underway across Gujarat, Maharashtra and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The procurement of operational and control systems is also progressing steadily, according to the ministry.
Prototype trials are scheduled to commence in 2026, with commercial operations expected to begin in 2027.
The success of the MAHSR project is seen as a litmus test for future bullet train corridors currently under evaluation.