India has achieved a historic engineering milestone in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (HSR) project with the completion of a 4.8 km under-sea tunnel section. Excavation from Ghansoli and Shilphata sides successfully met, marking India’s first under-sea tunnel connecting Mumbai and Thane.

The bullet train is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just 2 hours and 7 minutes, linking major economic centres including Anand, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Vapi, and creating a single economic corridor that could accelerate industrial growth and knowledge transfer.

The project has completed 320 km of viaducts, advanced station construction, systematic river bridges, and near completion of the Sabarmati tunnel. Technical innovations include single tunnels for dual trains and 40-metre girders in viaducts, earning praise from Japanese partners.

The first section, from Surat to Bilimora, is expected to open in 2027, with operations initially every 30 minutes during peak hours. Staff are undergoing world-class training in Japan on E10 Shinkansen technology, ensuring safety and operational excellence.