India’s First Bullet Train Service to Begin Phased Operations in August 2027

New Delhi — India’s first bullet train service will begin phased operations on Aug. 15, 2027, with the Surat-Bilimora section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor becoming the country’s first operational high-speed rail route, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The 508-kilometer Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will be commissioned in stages, allowing completed sections to open before the entire project is finished.

After the Surat-Bilimora section begins service, other portions of the route, including Vapi-Surat, Vapi-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Thane and Ahmedabad-Mumbai, will open progressively.

Vaishnaw said nearly 80% of the project has been completed and construction is advancing rapidly to meet the planned timeline.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two major financial centers while introducing advanced railway technology and improving regional connectivity. The project is also expected to support economic development along the route.

Vaishnaw also outlined plans to expand India’s high-speed rail network, including three proposed corridors centered on Hyderabad.

The planned routes are Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Chennai and Hyderabad-Bengaluru. A Hyderabad-Mumbai high-speed rail link is also under consideration.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given three high-speed bullet train corridors to Hyderabad, which will change its landscape,” Vaishnaw said, adding that the network would cover large parts of Telangana and improve connectivity across several districts.

The minister also highlighted the government’s railway modernization program. Under the Nav-Nirmaan initiative, 261 stations across India are being upgraded with improved infrastructure and modern passenger amenities.

In Telangana, Secunderabad, Begumpet and HITEC City are among the stations undergoing redevelopment. (Source: IANS)