A major breakthrough has been achieved on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project with the completion of a 4.88 km tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata, constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). The tunnel is part of a 21 km underground stretch from Bandra Kurla Complex to Shilphata, which also includes a 7 km undersea passage beneath Thane Creek.
As per reports, the high-speed rail line will begin operations in phases, with the Surat–Bilimora section expected to open in December 2027 and the full corridor ready by 2029.
🚄 Major milestone for the Bullet Train Project!
Breakthrough achieved in the 4.88 km section of Bharat’s first undersea tunnel under Thane Creek. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/g002aF2Oa5— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) September 20, 2025
Major project milestones achieved so far
National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has reported significant progress on the 508-km corridor. Work completed so far includes:
-
321 km of viaduct and 398 km of piers
-
17 river bridges and 9 steel bridges
-
Over four lakh noise barriers across 206 km
-
206 km of track bed and more than 2,000 OHE masts
Excavation is under way on seven mountain tunnels in Palghar, while construction of elevated stations in Maharashtra and superstructures in Gujarat is advancing. At Mumbai’s underground station, base slab casting is in progress.
Bullet Train and Vande Bharat on separate platforms
Further, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has clarified Bullet Train Corridor will not host Vande Bharat trains. Speaking in Thane, he stressed that bullet trains and Vande Bharat trains operate on two different platforms. His remarks dismiss recent media reports suggesting that an indigenously developed Vande Bharat with a top speed of 250 kmph would run on this corridor.
Travel time & fare
Witness the remarkable progress of the Mumbai – Ahmedabad #BulletTrain project, India’s first high-speed Rail corridor, moving closer to reality with every milestone. pic.twitter.com/EILaVSp7Zw
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) September 20, 2025
Once complete, the corridor will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to little over two hours. The trains will initially run every 30 minutes during peak hours, eventually scaling to every 10 minutes.
Ticket prices are yet to be officially confirmed, though reports suggest fares may range between ₹3,000 and ₹5,000 for a full Mumbai–Ahmedabad journey.
Yellow Alert issued for Mumbai on Sep 22; heavy rain to lash city later this week
