Bullet Train: Vande Bharat Express trains have revolutionised high-speed train travel in India, but the Indian Railways will soon operate cutting edge trains that will redefine the very nature of rail travel in the country with maximum speeds of up to 320 kmph.
Let us find out more about India's first bullet train and the which routes it will operate on.
Which route will India's first bullet train run on?
India's first bullet train will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR) aka Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR is an under-construction high-speed rail corridor.
The bullet train line which is being developed by National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian Railways, the Ministry of Railways and the Government of India, will use Shinkansen technology from Japan, including rolling stock, signalling and design standards - with technology transfer to support the Make in India programme, according to officials.
Indian Railways to build two new trains
In addition to the bullet train, the Indian Railways has announced plans to build two new trains, designed to run at speeds of up to 220 kmph.
In a March 23 letter to the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the Railways approved the two next-generation, high-speed trains, which are scheduled to be built by 2027-28. The 16-coach trainset will cost approximately Rs 866 crore, with each coach costing about Rs 28 crore.
The coaches of the next-gen trains will be feature complete steel bodies, and will be designed to operate at a maximum speed of 220 kmph, and an operational speed of 200 kmph, according to officials.
When will India's first bullet train become operational?
In November last year, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that the inaugural run of India's first bullet train on the MAHSR will take place in August 2027, adding that the trial run has now been extended to cover a 100 km distance between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat.
Once operational, India's first bullet train will usher in a new era of fast and efficient travel in the country. The MAHSR will connect 12 stations, including major cities and towns in Maharashtra and Gujarat, like Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, covering 508 kilometres.