Bullet train's inaugural run to cover 100 km: Full details on India's high-speed rail launch

India's long-awaited bullet train is set to cover the 100 kilometers between Surat and Vapi during its inaugural run in August 2027, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed on Tuesday. Initially, the first leg of the journey was planned for a 50 km stretch between Surat and Billimora, but the new route will extend further into Gujarat.

The ambitious 508-km high-speed rail corridor is being constructed between Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) and Mumbai, with trains expected to reach speeds of up to 320 kmph. When complete, the bullet train will reduce travel time between the two cities to 1 hour and 58 minutes, stopping at four stations along the way. If all 12 stations are included, the journey time would be slightly longer, at around 2 hours and 17 minutes.

The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2017, with initial plans to complete the project by December 2023. However, issues related to land acquisition and other technical delays have pushed back the timeline. Despite these setbacks, Vaishnaw assured the public that the project is on track, with the first leg of the bullet train now expected to operate between Surat and Vapi in 2027.

Vaishnaw spoke of the ongoing progress at the upcoming Surat station, which was recently visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction, stating that the lessons learned from this high-speed project should be applied beyond railways to other sectors as well. 

"PM Modi said that whatever we have learned from the project must be used elsewhere, not only in Railways and other high-speed projects but in other different sectors as well. We have done one innovation after the other in this project," Vaishnaw shared.

Despite the optimism surrounding the project, questions remain about the specific type of train that will operate during the inaugural run. While the Railway Ministry has awarded a contract to a Siemens-led consortium to install the signaling system for the corridor, experts have raised concerns that the system may not be compatible with the Japanese Shinkansen bullet train. 

The Railway Ministry has also tasked Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) with developing an indigenous high-speed train that can reach speeds of up to 250 kmph.

Vaishnaw confirmed that the inaugural run will cover 100 km as scheduled in August 2027, but did not provide information on whether the Japanese Shinkansen or an indigenous train would be used for the first run. "We will cover the first 100 km in August 2027," he stated.
 

(With inputs from PTI)