"Progressing well": Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train on track for 2027 launch
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is moving towards a 2027 launch, with the Surat-Bilimora section expected to open first.
Published By: Shubham Arora | Published: Jul 17, 2026, 09:13 PM (IST)
India's first bullet train project is moving closer to becoming operational, with work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor progressing at a fast pace. The first section of the corridor is expected to open in 2027, while Japan's next-generation E10 Shinkansen trains are likely to join the project later.
According to government sources cited by ANI, discussions between India and Japan are progressing well. Since the E10 series trains are still under development in Japan and are expected to be available only in the early 2030s, the two countries have agreed to begin operations with an Indian-made high-speed train. This means India will not have to wait for the E10 trains before starting passenger services on the corridor.
First section to open in 2027
The first operational section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor will run between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently confirmed that the section is expected to start operations in 2027, with the remaining parts of the corridor opening in phases as construction work is completed.
The complete Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor will cover around 508 km and is being developed as a major infrastructure partnership between India and Japan. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 1.08 lakh crore and is based on Japan's Shinkansen high-speed rail technology.
Once the entire corridor is operational, trains are expected to run at speeds of up to 320 kmph. The journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which currently takes more than six hours by conventional trains, is expected to come down to just over two hours.
Japan's E10 Shinkansen trains to arrive later
Japan is expected to provide its upcoming E10 series Shinkansen trains for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor in the early 2030s. However, since these trains are still being developed, the initial services will use high-speed trains built in India.
The arrangement will allow operations to begin as soon as the first sections of the corridor are ready. The E10 trains can then be introduced later without delaying the launch of the project. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor has been one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's major infrastructure projects and will mark India's entry into high-speed passenger rail once commercial operations begin.
India also gets its first hydrogen-powered train
The bullet train update comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India's first hydrogen-powered train. The pilot service will operate on the 89-km Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana under Northern Railway and marks the country's first use of hydrogen fuel cell technology for rail transport.
The hydrogen-powered train has 10 coaches and can carry around 2,600 passengers. It will operate at a maximum speed of 75 kmph, although the train itself has been designed to reach speeds of up to 110 kmph.
Unlike diesel trains, the new train uses hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity. The project also includes separate facilities for storing hydrogen and refuelling the train.
This is currently a pilot project, and based on how it performs, the technology could be used on other railway routes as well. India is also now among a handful of countries, including Germany, Japan, China, and the US, that are using or testing hydrogen-powered trains.
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