New Delhi / Surat / Mumbai, India , November 26, 2025 :
India is poised to witness a historic leap in rail technology with the inaugural run of its first bullet train planned for August 2027, covering a 100 km stretch between Surat and Vapi on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor. The project, inspired by Japan’s Shinkansen model and funded with ₹1.08 lakh crore, aims to revolutionize travel by slashing the journey time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just under two hours once fully operational by 2029.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the extended inaugural run length from the previously planned 50 km to 100 km, enabling more comprehensive testing of critical systems. The trains on this corridor will travel at speeds up to 320 km/h. The route includes four key stops in Maharashtra and eight in Gujarat, and advanced technologies such as earthquake detection and aerodynamic designs ensure safety and efficiency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following a recent review at the Surat station, lauded the project as a “game-changer” for India’s economic corridors, projecting the high-speed rail will service approximately 88,000 daily passengers and contribute ₹1.5 lakh crore to the GDP by 2040. While challenges remain, including environmental clearances and technology transfers from Japan, trial runs are slated for mid-2026. The full 508 km corridor is expected to be operational by the end of 2029, positioning India among Asia’s rail superpowers and significantly upgrading its transport infrastructure.
