Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project running behind schedule

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project, which is India's first bullet train, is running behind schedule, with only 33.68% of physical progress achieved against a target of 35.97% as of May 2023.

The project was initially estimated to cost Rs 108,000 crore, but the total cost has risen to almost Rs 2 Lakh crore due to delays and fluctuations in yen value. The high-speed rail line will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad through 12 stations at a cost of Rs 1.1 lakh crore, with a deadline of December 2023. Trains on the line will operate at a speed of 320 kmph on an elevated viaduct, except in Mumbai where it will be built underground.

The Vapi-Sabarmati section is expected to be commissioned in August 2027, although the project may face agitation from executives of Coal India, which is unrelated to the project.