India’s First Bullet Train Likely To Run By 2026. Route Map, Fares And Other Details Inside

India's first bullet train is likely to start its journey by 2026 from Surat to Bilimora. The progress of the speed rail project looks promising in the state of Gujarat.

New Delhi: Gujarat might soon become India’s premiere state to boast of running a bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in another four years. It will cover a stretch of nearly 63 km within Gujarat. According to Union Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, good progress has been made in the Ahmedabad-Mumbai High-Speed Rail Project. He addressed the media saying, “I am confident of running India’s first bullet train in Gujarat in 2026.”

“The pillars for the bullet train have been put up along 61 km of the route. Other works are underway along 150 km of the stretch at a good pace,” the minister said. The minister visited bullet train project near Vaktana village in Choryasi Taluka in Surat district. He was there to inspect operation of a segmental casting yard.

Inspected the progress of Ahmedabad- Mumbai bullet train project in Surat.#8YearsOfInfraGati pic.twitter.com/o7VKHz2CbR

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 6, 2022

Pertaining to the progress of the project on the Maharashtra side, the minister admitted the slow pace of work due to certain land acquisition issues but was confident on the efforts being made to speed up the progress. “Maharashtra should work with the spirit of cooperation. A major chunk of the project, approximately 352-km section of the bullet train project will be covered under the territory of Gujarat.

Fare, route and other details

• The train is said to zoom through the tracks at a speed of 320 kmph covering 508 km with 12 stations only. The Japan International Cooperation Agency has funded Rs 1.1 lakh crore, which amounts to 80% of the total cost of this project.
• The Railway Minister hinted that the ticket fare for bullet train will be almost equal to the price of First AC in the Indian Railways. But no fixed price has been decided yet. The decision will be taken only once the speed rail project is complete.
• The train will run through 12 prominent cities of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The route map that has been decided as of now is inclusive of – Mumbai, Thane, Surat ,Vapi, Vadodara, Boisar, Bharuch, Anand, Ahemdabad, Virar, Sabarmati and Bilimora.

Further details will be announced as per the latest development that follow.

Gujarat is one of the most famous tourist states in India. It is a melting pot of culture, heritage, and exotic wildlife. This colourful state runs by, almost 1600 km long coastline and is known for its warm hospitality. From the white sand of Rann of Kutch to the green colours of the Wildlife Sanctuaries, Gujarat has been bestowed with spectacular beauty to tour around.

Surat, also known as the ‘Diamond City of India’, harbours many temples, refreshing beaches and dense green vegetation. It is a port city and a global diamond cutting centre. It is also the hub of textiles attracting lots of tourists. Dumas beach, Sardar Patel Museum, Dutch Garden are some of the famous spots and thus it makes a good destination for family vacation.