The ambitious project to build a bullet train connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad is moving slowly. According to a status report that was released in April, barely 30% of the project has been completed despite the fact that it has been delayed for years for a variety of reasons. However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has recently said that all barriers to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project that existed during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi administration have been erased.
During the Niti Ayog Governing Council meeting on Saturday, Shinde stated, “My government has removed all obstacles from the ambitious national scheme, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train, which were pending in the last government’s tenure”.
In addition to mobilising the Metro projects, he claimed that the Shiv Sena-BJP government has settled the Aarey land dispute for the Metro Car Shed. He also claimed that a 337-km-long metro network is currently being constructed in Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and Thane, which is a network bigger than in Europe.
The bullet train, sometimes referred to as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad semi-high-speed railway, is one of Narendra Modi’s crowning achievements. Due to issues with land acquisition for the project, it experienced delays during the MVA government, which was led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The well-known initiative had been targeted by Thackeray, who also questioned its advantages.
The Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Motorway, and the Virar-Alibaug roads are just a few examples of the state’s improved transport infrastructure, according to the chief minister.
The first bullet train project in India, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) is expected to cost over Rs 108,000 crore.
The bullet train may be delayed beyond 2028 based on the existing situation, making it doubtful that it would arrive by the deadline. By August 2026, the project’s maiden test run was supposed to occur over the 63-kilometre stretch between Surat and Bilimora. The project had a December 2023 completion date originally.
While the high-speed corridor is only 35.23% complete in Gujarat, it is barely moving at 19.65% in Maharashtra.
The supersonic train may travel at a speed of up to 350 km/h (220 mph). It will take less than three hours to complete the 508 kilometres between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The bullet train project will feature 12 stops, 4 in Gujarat and 8 in Maharashtra, according to the projected alignment. Maharashtra will be home to the Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Virar, and Boisar stations. Gujarat will be home to Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati.