Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train clears key section after tunnel breakthrough

India’s Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train programme reached a milestone on Friday, with the corridor’s first mountain tunnel now completed.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually witnessed the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5 (MT-5) from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi, as reported by The Indian Express.

The 1.5-kilometre tunnel is in Maharashtra’s Palghar district and is the first mountain tunnel finished on the route. In a statement cited by the Ministry of Railways on X, Vaishnaw said the wider Mumbai Ahmedabad high-speed rail project includes seven mountain tunnels and one undersea tunnel. The ministry’s post said he made the remarks while addressing a press conference.

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Speaking about the alignment, he said the MT-5 breakthrough removes most obstacles along the Thane–Ahmedabad alignment. “With this, everything between Thane and Ahmedabad is clear now,” he said, adding that the Mumbai–Thane undersea stretch remains the main constraint while the rest of the project alignment is now clear.

A Railway Ministry note said MT-5 lies between the Virar and Boisar bullet train stations and is among the longer tunnels in Palghar district. It is the second tunnel breakthrough in Maharashtra for the Mumbai Ahmedabad high-speed rail project. The first was a five-kilometre underground tunnel between Thane and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), completed in September 2025.

Rollout plan for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train

Earlier this week, Vaishnaw said India is likely to get its first bullet train on August 15, 2027. He outlined a phased commissioning plan in which the first section will open from Surat to Bilimora. Subsequent stages will follow from Vapi to Surat, Vapi to Ahmedabad, Thane to Ahmedabad, and finally the full Mumbai to Ahmedabad stretch.

The 508-kilometre Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project passes through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a programme also covered in recent updates by Railway Supply. Trains are designed to run at 320 kmph, reducing travel time to about 2 hours and 17 minutes.

Stations and depots: BKC and Sabarmati terminals

The project includes 12 stations, with Sabarmati as the terminal station in Gujarat and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) as the terminal station in Mumbai. Three depots are under construction.

Vaishnaw said that for a stretch of 508 kilometres, two depots are normally sufficient. However, he said a third depot had to be planned because, for a long period, the then Maharashtra government stopped granting permissions and refused approvals during Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure, which delayed progress and required additional arrangements.

Vande Bharat sleeper train launch in January 2026

The minister also said the first Vande Bharat sleeper train will be launched this month, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to flag off the service in the second half of January 2026, as Hindustan Times reported.

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