Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train is becoming a visible construction project across Gujarat and Maharashtra after years of planning. The 508-km corridor is designed to reduce a journey that now takes more than six hours to just over two.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: India’s 508-km leap
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: India’s 508-km leap

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train route and stations

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor will run from Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai to Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. Across its 508 kilometres, the line will connect the two cities while also serving industrial centres along the way.

Twelve stations are planned for the corridor. The list includes Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara and Anand, among others. Trains are planned to run at a top speed of 320 km/h. With limited stops at Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad, the full journey is expected to take about two hours and seven minutes.

That compares with more than six hours on the fastest conventional train today. The difference in travel time is central to the project’s role in long-distance rail travel in India. The corridor is also designed to serve industrial towns without airport connectivity, including Boisar, Vapi, Bharuch and Anand. Boisar is expected to act as a gateway to the upcoming Vadhvan Port.

Construction is now visible on the ground. One recent milestone was the successful launch of a 45-metre viaduct span over Kalupur Flyover in Ahmedabad.

NHSRCL, JICA funding and Shinkansen technology

The project is being executed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited, or NHSRCL. The special purpose vehicle was incorporated in 2016. Its equity is divided between the central government, which holds 50%, and the governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra, which hold 25% each.

The estimated cost stands at Rs 1,08,000 crore, or about $17 billion excluding taxes. Around 81% of the funding comes through a soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The JICA financing has a 50-year repayment tenure and a 15-year moratorium.

Land acquisition has been completed for the full 1,390 hectares needed for the corridor. About 90% of the alignment will be elevated, making viaduct construction one of the main elements of delivery.

The main construction method is the Full Span Launching Method, used in India for the first time. The track will use the J-Slab ballastless system, based on Japanese Shinkansen technology. For the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, that links the track system directly to the Japanese high-speed rail model described in the project.

Undersea tunnel and safety systems

One of the most complex sections is the 21-kilometre tunnel that starts near BKC. Seven kilometres of it will pass beneath Thane Creek, making it India’s first undersea rail tunnel, a section also followed by Railway Supply in its tunnel-work coverage.

The corridor also includes eight mountain tunnels. Seven are being built in Palghar district in Maharashtra, while one is located in Valsad district in Gujarat. These sections add engineering complexity to a route that already relies heavily on elevated structures.

Station design will draw on local identity. Surat station is inspired by diamond geometry. Sabarmati uses river wave forms and the Ashoka Chakra as references. Ahmedabad station reflects the jaali pattern of the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque.

Four stations are being developed as model stations with Japanese expertise: Virar, Thane, Surat and Sabarmati. All stations are also planned according to green building standards.

The safety package is based on Japanese Shinkansen systems. It includes 28 seismometers for earthquake detection, six rain gauge stations to monitor landslide risk and 14 anemometers for high wind monitoring.

Work is continuing across several project areas. Electrification is underway between Surat and Bilimora, while rolling stock depots are under construction at Sabarmati, Surat and Thane. More than 20,000 masts are also planned for the overhead traction system.