Major structural milestones have been achieved at the upcoming Vapi station in Gujarat, a key node along the 508-kilometre Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Corridor. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is implementing the bullet train project using Japanese Shinkansen technology, confirmed the completion of platform-level slab casting and structural steel installation.

The station, located in Dungra village, will feature a built-up area of 28,917 square metres, rise approximately 22 metres, and include amenities such as a business class lounge. Roofing and electrical installations are currently underway. The approach viaduct toward Ahmedabad is ready, while work toward Mumbai continues. Vapi will be one of the 12 stations along the corridor, connecting cities including Mumbai, Thane, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad.

The Vapi station is strategically located around seven kilometres from the city’s railway junction and five kilometres from an industrial hub. The bullet train’s first phase—spanning the 348-kilometre Gujarat section—is scheduled to be operational by 2027, with trial runs on a 50-kilometre Surat–Bilimora segment expected in early 2026. The full corridor is anticipated to be completed by 2028, slashing travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to under three hours.

Two services are planned—one stopping at all stations (2 hours 58 minutes) and another with limited stops (approximately 2 hours 7 minutes). So far, the NHSRCL has completed 304 kilometres of viaduct, 388 kilometres of pier work, 163 kilometres of track bed, 14 river bridges, seven steel bridges, and five pre-stressed concrete bridges.

Backed by Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Rs 1.1 trillion project has experienced delays due to land acquisition issues, although all civil contracts across Gujarat and Maharashtra have now been awarded. India’s first application of Japan’s J-slab ballastless track system is underway between Surat and Anand.

In Gujarat’s Valsad district, NHSRCL completed a 350-metre mountain tunnel in just 10 months. The first steel bridge—spanning 70 metres and weighing 673 metric tonnes—has been erected over National Highway 53 in Surat.

Further progress includes the start of construction for India’s first undersea rail tunnel, part of a 21-kilometre stretch between Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata in Maharashtra. The 50-kilometre Surat–Bilimora section is targeted to begin operations by August 2026.