The trial of India's first bullet train to run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad has started in Japan. After this it will come to India. Work is going on at war footing even before the arrival of bullet train in India. The National High Speed Rail Corporation is building India’s first high-speed rail line of 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The 352 km route will pass through nine districts of Gujarat and three districts of Maharashtra.
Japan will gift two bullet train sets
As part of the strategic India-Japan partnership, Japan will gift two bullet train sets - one from the E5 and one from the E3 series - for initial inspection and performance testing. Designed to run at speeds up to 320 km/h, these trains will be handed over to India in early 2026. After arriving in India, they will have to undergo rigorous testing in domestic terrain and climatic conditions.
Distance will be covered in just 2 hours
The 508 km long MAHSR corridor developed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just 2 hours and 7 minutes. The route will have 12 stations, including Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Surat and Vadodara, which will integrate Japan's globally respected rail safety and reliability standards.
India and Japan signed an agreement in 2016 to cooperate on the high-speed rail project, which is being financed mainly through low-interest yen loans from Japan, which is about 80% of the project cost.
Bullet train project is expected to bring a variety of benefits
Apart from speed, the bullet train project is expected to bring a variety of benefits - from job creation and technology transfer to boosting tourism and trade between the two major economic centers. Once operational, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is expected to usher in a new era of high-speed, high-efficiency public transport in India.
Prakash Kumar Pandey