- India's first bullet train phase starts August 15, 2027, with Surat-Bilimora stretch
- The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will open in phases, covering 508 km in total
- Around 80% of the bullet train project is completed and on track for rollout
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that India will begin operations of the first phase of its first bullet train service from August 15, 2027. The first section to become operational will be the Surat-Bilimora stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor. The remaining sections of the 508-km corridor will be opened in phases as construction progresses.
"India's first Bullet Train enters its next chapter. Starting next year, the under-construction Mumbai-Amdavad High-Speed Rail corridor will open phase by phase, beginning with the Surat-Bilimora section," he said while speaking at the HYSEA GCCS & IT Roundtable at the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre.
After the Surat-Bilimora stretch, services will be extended in stages to Vapi, then Ahmedabad, followed by Thane and, finally, the full Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, Vaishnaw said. He added, "That is the phase-by-phase, section-by-section opening that will start from next year onwards."
Vaishnaw also said that around 80% of the bullet train project has been completed and expressed confidence that it will meet its rollout timeline. Once fully operational, the bullet train is expected to run at speeds of up to 320 kmph.
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As per a post shared by ANI on X, Vaishnaw further said that Hyderabad will become a major high-speed rail hub because the Central government plans to build three bullet train corridors connecting the city with other major destinations, which will reduce travel time between Hyderabad and major cities. The proposed high-speed rail corridors are Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Chennai and Hyderabad to Bengaluru.
He said the Pune-Hyderabad bullet train will complete the journey in just two hours. Travel from Hyderabad to Mumbai will take 2 hours and 50 minutes, while the Hyderabad-Amaravati journey will be reduced to 1 hour and 10 minutes. He added that passengers will be able to travel from Hyderabad to Chennai in 3 hours and from Hyderabad to Bengaluru in 2 hours and 35 minutes.
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He called these rail corridors a "game changer" as they could reduce travel time, create jobs, increase tourism and integrate regional economies.
"More than a hundred electronics manufacturing companies have been promoted under the electronics manufacturing programs of the government of India, where Telangana has been a big beneficiary," he added.
Vaishnaw also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allocated Rs 5,400 crore for railway projects in Telangana. "Because of that, a huge change is happening," he added.
