Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project to start operations by 2027
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project: The trial run on the Gujarat section of India’s first ever Bullet Train corridor- the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, will begin in 2026. However, services for the public will be rolled out by the year 2027, SC Agnihotri, MD of the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said on Tuesday. The Managing Director was quoted in an ANI report saying that escalated costs for the Bullet Train project, missed deadlines due to the process of land acquisition and the Covid pandemic, among other issues will be discussed with the government of Japan to figure out the solutions. A joint press conference was conducted between Agnihotri and Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India.
According to the report, in the state of Gujarat and UT Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 100% civil contracts for the construction of the entire route i.e., 352 kilometres have been awarded to contractors from India. In the state of Gujarat, there wil be eight stations- Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Anand/Nadiad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Vapi, Surat and Bilimora. The station in Surat will be one of the largest in the Bullet Train corridor project with a built up area of 48,234 sq. metres. The city of Surat in Gujarat is famous for its diamond industry and hence, the interiors of the station will represent the diamond facets, the report stated.
According to the MD of NHSRCL, Surat station will be completed by the year 2023 and it will be the first Bullet Train station to be ready. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor project has generated 1.20 lakh direct and indirect jobs. The MAHSR project has provided as many as 20,000 direct employment as well as around one lakh indirect jobs in Gujarat, he said. Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Japan to India, Satoshi Suzuki said that they have emphasized through this Bullet Train project the transfer of technology to the Indian side.