India’s First Bullet Train to Run 100 km on Inaugural Journey in August 2027, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

India’s First Bullet Train to Run 100 km on Inaugural Journey in August 2027, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

India’s high-speed rail dream is set to take a major jump in 2027. Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the country’s first bullet train will cover a 100 km stretch between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat during its inaugural run in August 2027, doubling the originally planned 50 km launch span.

Earlier, the proposal was to cover the Surat–Billimora section, but the revised decision comes after steady progress on the ambitious Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor.

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The project, launched in 2017, covers 508 km between Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) and Mumbai, designed for speeds of 320 kmph, reducing the travel time between the two cities to just 2 hours and 17 minutes.

Vaishnaw told reporters at Rail Bhawan, “The bullet train, in its inaugural run, will now cover 100 km between Surat and Vapi in August 2027. Earlier, the inaugural run was planned on a 50 km stretch between Surat and Billimore within the same deadline.”

He further added that the bullet train would take 1 hour 58 minutes between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with four stops, and 2 hours and 17 minutes if it halts at all 12 stations. The entire corridor is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2029 after delays caused by land acquisition and procedural challenges.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently reviewed the progress during a visit to the upcoming Surat station. Vaishnaw said, “PM Modi said that whatever we have learnt from the project must be used elsewhere, not only in Railways and other high speed projects, but in other different sectors as well.”

However, uncertainty remains over the rolling stock to be deployed for the inaugural run. The signalling contract awarded to a Siemens-led consortium may not support the Japanese Shinkansen system planned initially, and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) has been tasked with developing an indigenous high-speed train capable of operating up to 250 kmph. When asked whether the inaugural run will feature a Japanese or Indian-built train, Vaishnaw responded only, “We will cover the first 100 km in August 2027.”

With the first stage now officially scheduled and work advancing across multiple sites, the countdown to India’s first bullet train has truly begun — ushering in a new era of high-speed rail travel in the country.