Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train’s Surat-Vapi Section Targets 2027 Service
India is building a very fast railway between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The first planned operating part would connect Surat and Vapi.
Officials say it could start carrying passengers in 2027.
The train may reach the tracks in April or May 2027 for testing.
The report says the train is being designed and made in India.
Workers have also positioned two large machines for digging the BKC-Thane tunnel.
Stations, bridges and other construction are continuing along the route.
The report gives two different December references for construction, so the exact construction schedule is unclear.
The Surat-Vapi section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor is targeted to begin service in 2027.
The train is expected to reach the tracks around April-May 2027 for extensive testing.
The report says construction is targeted for completion by December 2026, but also says work may commence by December, creating a timeline discrepancy.
The India-made train has completed or advanced work on its car body, propulsion system, electronics, wheels, pantograph and overhead-system integration.
Two tunnel boring machines for the BKC-Thane underground tunnel have been lowered, assembled and aligned for tunnelling.
- Who
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited are providing updates on the project.
- What
- The Surat-Vapi section is being prepared for testing and possible service, while tunnel, station and bridge construction continues.
- When
- Construction is described as targeted for December 2026 completion, with train testing expected around April-May 2027 and service targeted during 2027.
- Where
- The project runs between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, with the first section between Surat and Vapi and an underground tunnel between BKC and Thane.
- Why
- The work is intended to advance the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project and prepare its first section for service.
- First service target
- The Surat-Vapi section is targeted to begin service in 2027.
- Expected testing
- The train is expected to reach the tracks around April-May 2027 for extensive testing.
- Construction timeline
- NHSRCL says construction is targeted for completion by December 2026.
- Train origin
- The train is described as designed and manufactured in India, with intellectual property rights in India.
- Tunnel progress
- Both tunnel boring machines for the BKC-Thane underground tunnel have been lowered, assembled and aligned.
- Train testing
- The train is currently undergoing a squeeze test to assess the strength of its body.