India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is on track to begin commercial operations in December 2027, according to a report by News18. The high-speed rail service is poised to transform travel between the two major cities, reducing a six-to-seven-hour journey to just over two hours.
The rollout will happen in phases, starting with the operationalization of the Surat-Bilimora section in 2027. The line is expected to extend to Thane by 2028, with the final leg connecting to the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai slated for completion by 2029.
A significant construction milestone was recently achieved with the completion of a 5-kilometer tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata. Officials confirmed that this section was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), successfully linking the Savali shaft to the Shilphata tunnel portal.
India’s High-Speed Rail Corridor
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor is India’s inaugural bullet train project, designed to operate at speeds up to 320 kmph. Spanning 508 kilometers, the route will connect India’s financial capital, Mumbai, with the industrial hub of Ahmedabad. The project includes a complex 21-kilometer underground section, of which 7 kilometers will run under the Thane Creek.
Once fully operational, the service will offer frequent departures, with trains running every half hour during peak times. This frequency is expected to increase to every 10 minutes as the network stabilizes.
Construction and Technology
The project is leveraging Japanese Shinkansen technology, renowned globally for its safety, reliability, and punctuality. Tunnelling work, which began in May 2024, has made substantial headway. The newly completed 4.881-km tunnel is wide enough to accommodate twin tracks for simultaneous two-way train movement.
Across the entire corridor, progress is visible with 321 km of viaduct work, 398 km of pier construction, and 17 river bridges already finished. With the NATM tunneling portion complete, the focus will now shift to excavating the remaining 16 km of the tunnel using advanced Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs). While construction of the underground station in Mumbai is underway, most stations in Gujarat are already in advanced stages of completion.
While official ticket prices have not been announced, the News18 report suggests that a one-way ticket for the full Mumbai-Ahmedabad journey could cost between ₹3,000 and ₹5,000. Fares for shorter distances, such as from BKC to Thane, are expected to be lower.