Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: How Far Along Is India's First High-Speed Rail?

India's first bullet train corridor, connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad, is well past the halfway mark. The 508-km project was roughly 56% complete as of late 2025, with construction accelerating further through early 2026.

What's Been Built So Far

All 1,389.5 hectares of land needed for the corridor has been acquired, every statutory clearance obtained, and all 1,651 utilities along the route relocated. On the ground, 332 km of viaduct and 415 km of pier work are complete, along with 17 river bridges and roughly 4,800 overhead-equipment masts covering about 111 route kilometers.

The First Stretch to Open

Rather than waiting for the full corridor, Indian Railways plans to open the Surat-Bilimora section first. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed in July 2026 that this stretch is expected to begin passenger services next year, giving India its first taste of true high-speed rail years before the full Mumbai-Ahmedabad line is ready.

The Road to Full Completion

The full 508-km corridor, designed for a top speed of 350 km/h and an operational speed of around 320 km/h using Japanese Shinkansen trainsets, remains targeted for completion in 2028-29. Once finished, it will cut the Mumbai-Ahmedabad journey from roughly six hours by road to about two hours by rail.