Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced that India’s first bullet train service will begin operations on August 15, 2027, marking a major milestone in the country’s high-speed rail ambitions.
The inaugural stretch of the high-speed rail corridor will run between Surat and Bilimora, with subsequent phases expanding the network progressively across Gujarat and Maharashtra. The full Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor spans 508 km, but authorities have opted for a phased commissioning strategy rather than waiting for the entire project to be completed.
Under the rollout plan, the second operational section will connect Vapi to Surat, followed by an extension from Vapi to Ahmedabad, and finally the Thane–Ahmedabad stretch. The approach mirrors global best practices, where high-speed rail networks are opened in stages to allow early operational benefits while construction continues elsewhere.
Providing an update on the project’s progress, the government said that significant civil and systems work has already been completed.
According to data released by the Ministry of Railways, as of December 21, 2025, about 331 km of viaduct construction has been completed out of the total 508 km alignment, while pier work is finished across 410 km.
Infrastructure development has advanced steadily, with 17 river bridges, five prestressed concrete bridges and 11 steel bridges already completed.
Major tunnelling works in Maharashtra are currently in progress, a crucial component of the project given the region’s complex terrain.
Simultaneously, rolling stock depots at Surat and Ahmedabad are being developed to support operations and maintenance of the high-speed trains.
Once operational, the bullet train is expected to cut travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to about two hours, bring high-speed rail technology to India, boost connectivity, and support jobs and future corridors.
