- By Akansha Pandey
- Fri, 30 May 2025 10:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India has achieved a major infrastructure landmark with the completion of its first bullet train railway station. The initial high-speed rail service is projected to launch in Gujarat by 2028, followed by Mumbai in 2030. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has praised the project as a monumental success for the nation's transportation network.
The Mumbai - Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, India's inaugural bullet train project, will stretch 508 kilometers to provide rapid transit between Maharashtra and Gujarat. Beginning at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Maharashtra, the 320 km/h train will transform intercity travel and link the economies of Mumbai, Vapi, Surat, Anand, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad. It will make stops in ten cities: Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, and Ahmedabad, before ending in Sabarmati. With limited stops (Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad), the total journey will take approximately 2 hours and 7 minutes, significantly cutting down travel time compared to existing trains or roads. This project utilises Harnessing Japanese Shinkansen technology.
What is a High Speed Rail?
High-Speed Rail (HSR) is a passenger train that generally travels at least 200 km (124 miles) per hour and can cruise up to 355 km (221 miles) per hour, though some have reached higher speeds.
India’s High Speed Rail Project
100 per cent of the land required for the project has been acquired, totaling 1390 hectares. This includes 430 hectares in Maharashtra and 960 hectares across Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Approximately 90 per cent of the railway's alignment is elevated, primarily utilizing the Full Span Launching Method (FSLM). This innovative construction technique, being employed for the first time in India, significantly speeds up viaduct construction, making it 10 times faster than conventional segmental methods. India is now one of the few nations to master this advanced technique.
The corridor will feature 28 steel bridges, ranging from 60 to 130 meters in span, built over National and State Highways, irrigation canals, rivers, and existing railway tracks. Additionally, 24 bridges are under construction over rivers along the alignment, with 20 in Gujarat and 4 in Maharashtra.
For sections passing through hilly terrain, the MAHSR (Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail ) corridor will include 8 mountain tunnels, constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). Seven of these tunnels are located in Maharashtra's Palghar district, and one is in Gujarat's Valsad district.
To mitigate noise pollution during operations, noise barriers are being installed on both sides of the viaduct.
Key Player Behind India’s First High Speed Train
State-owned BEML ( Bharat Earth Movers Limited) has secured a contract worth Rs 866.87 crore to design, manufacture, and commission two indigenously built high-speed trainsets for India. Each train will consist of eight cars and the order was placed by Indian Railways' Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
BEML is railway transportation company and Asia’s second-largest manufacturer of earth moving equipment.
BEML is scheduled to start building India’s first bullet train prototype in September at its Bengaluru plant. Shantanu Roy, Chairman and MD of BEML, informed Financial Express that the initial bullet train set is anticipated to begin speed trials by December of next year. He stated that the project is currently in the design phase, with critical design elements expected to be completed within a few months. Manufacturing is slated to commence by September. Shantanu Roy highlighted that this undertaking involves significant new learning and advanced technology in areas such as passenger safety, sheet metal work, welding, signaling and the train control management system (TCMS).
It's reported that the project's total cost 866.87 crore rupees, making each coach approximately 27.86 crore rupees. This is considerably more economical than the newest Shinkansen coaches, which are priced between 46-48 crore rupees each.
Key Player Behind India’s First High Speed Train Corridor
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the entity responsible for this project, was established on February 12, 2016. Formed as a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Companies Act, 2013, its purpose is to finance, construct, maintain and manage India's High-Speed Rail Corridors. It operates as a joint venture with equity contributions from the Central Government (through the Ministry of Railways) and the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
India's First Undersea Rail Tunnel
The seven-kilometer tunnel, constructed beneath Thane Creek, forms part of a 21-kilometer stretch. Linking Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to Shilphata, it will accommodate dual tracks, offering seamless and efficient transportation. This entire stretch will be built using two tunneling techniques: 5 km via the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) and the remaining 16 km with Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs).
A single tube, 13.1 meters in diameter, will house both tracks within the tunnel. The TBMs are equipped with a 13.6-meter diameter cutter head, making it the largest ever used for a railway project in India.
Bullet Train Stations
Each of the 12 stations on the MAHSR line will embody the local spirit of its city through its design. Instead of just modern structures, the goal is to connect with the environment by incorporating elements locals take pride in. These stations are envisioned as gateways to a modern lifestyle.
Station buildings will be contemporary, featuring materials like translucent glass, but will also reflect the city's essence to foster a connection with people. For example, Surat, known as the diamond city, will have its HSR station's elevation and ceilings designed with diamond shapes.
The Sabarmati station draws inspiration from the Sabarmati river, featuring wave-like elevations to represent water. The spikes of the Ashoka chakra will also be integrated into its design.
Ahmedabad's famous Syed Siddique's iconic jaali, symbolizing the tree of life, will be recreated on the facade of the Ahmedabad HSR station.
Inside, stations will have an intuitive layout guiding passengers toward platforms, with all functions like security and ticketing integrated into this flow. A consistent design style across all stations ensures a uniform experience for passengers.
Stations will offer lockers for day-trippers' baggage, a convenience enabled by the high-speed rail system. Business lounges will also be available for first-class passengers.
Finally, the stations are designed to be inclusive for Divyang (differently-abled) passengers, featuring wheelchair-friendly layouts, lowered ticketing counters with braille instructions, tactile floor tiles for guidance, dedicated washrooms and braille buttons in elevators.
All High-Speed Rail (HSR) station buildings are being developed as 'green' buildings. This signifies that their design incorporates sustainability elements, such as water-efficient fixtures, green-pro certified construction materials, energy-efficient lighting and multimodal integration with both existing and planned transport networks.
Budget
As per NHSRCL, The project's estimated cost, excluding taxes, is INR 1,08,000 crore (USD 17 billion), with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through Official Development Assistance (ODA) Loan.
81 percent of the total cost will be financed by the Government of Japan via JICA, while the Government of India will fund the remaining portion. The Special Purpose Vehicle's equity structure shows the Government of India (through the Ministry of Railways) holding 50 per cent, with the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat each holding 25 per cent.
The JICA loan for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project offers highly favorable terms: a 50-year tenure at a 0.1per cent interest rate, with a 15-year moratorium period. This means the loan repayment will occur over 35 years.
High Speed Rail Safety Features
A crucial part of India's high-speed rail network will include advanced safety features to safeguard passengers and infrastructure. These systems, which range from early earthquake detection to monitoring rainfall and wind speed, aim to guarantee the safe and smooth operation of the high-speed rail corridor.
History Of High Speed Rail
Japan launched the world's first high-speed rail, the 515-km Shinkansen line, connecting Tokyo and Osaka in 1964. Coinciding with the Summer Olympics, its debut earned international praise, with the trains quickly nicknamed the "bullet train" due to their speed and aerodynamic design. The line's construction featured innovations like prestressed concrete ties and 1.6-km welded track sections.
After Japan, High-speed rail expanded to Europe in 1977 with Italy's Rome-Florence line, followed by France's Paris-Lyon service in 1981. While Canada briefly used American-built turbo trains in the 1970s, they were eventually discontinued. Korean high-speed rail began in 2004 on a segment of the Seoul-Pusan line, with full completion by 2010. In 2007, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed 1) opened, connecting the Channel Tunnel to London and boosting international passenger travel between mainland Europe and the UK. Africa's first high-speed railway, the Al Boraq line, commenced operations in 2018, linking Casablanca and Tangier in Morocco. Latin America currently has no operating high-speed rail lines.
While having no high-speed rail at the turn of the 21st century, China has aggressively developed its network and now leads the world in high-speed rail transportation. Its current network spans approximately 38,000 km, connecting all major megacity clusters. China aims to expand this network to nearly 70,000 km by 2035.
Opened in 2016 in southern Switzerland, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel. It facilitates high-speed trains, shortening travel times for both freight and passengers between northern and southern Europe, while also providing significant safety and environmental advantages.
